


Landed

by 1Strategy_Renee1



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen, Welcome to Sanditon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/M, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24953587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1Strategy_Renee1/pseuds/1Strategy_Renee1
Summary: A current-day look at the Sidney/Charlotte relationship and the impacts of family and work relationships on true love and what it takes for obtaining HEA.
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Others, Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker, Sidney Parker & Other(s), Sidney Parker/Tom Parker
Comments: 509
Kudos: 489





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for all your nice comments on my other stories! Thought I'd take a look at a "modernish" day romance and evolve this one over a bit more time :).

He threw his leather bag in the overhead, put his briefcase on the floor, and fell heavily into the roomy first-class aisle seat. It had been one hell of day and Sidney was ready for a good eight hours of peace and quiet. While the trip to Chicago had gone better than planned and the investors seemed interested in the idea, the combination of their detailed questions and the persistent texts from Tom over the last week had become more than tedious and he just wanted to get back home to London and collapse in his own bed.

The two whiskeys in the club had failed to relax him—they only succeeded in making him miss his priority boarding time. He hated running through O’Hare airport – it was always crowded and there were way too many holiday travelers and families mucking up the flow for business travelers like him. They’d be closing the cabin door soon he thought—glancing at the empty seat next to him, hoping it would remain so. The last thing he needed was some chatty seatmate or sulky, drunk businessman.

The flight attendant offered to hang his coat and he ordered a whiskey—maybe a third one would do the trick. While he waited, he took out his phone and reviewed the texts. He responded to those from his assistant, his niece Jenny and goddaughter Georgiana, dismissing the eight others from Tom. He loved Tom for certain—Tom’s ambitious ideas had helped fuel some of their most innovative projects—but damn, all his nervous energy was exhausting.

Sidney turned off his phone and set it aside as the attendant returned with his whiskey. He took a large sip, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back, feeling the tension in his neck and shoulders finally start to ease.

“Excuse me,” a soft yet firm voice tried to rouse him.

Sidney winced; he ignored the request, not wanting to open his eyes, not wanting to give up the empty seat.

“Excuse me,” the voice a bit louder.

He opened his eyes, annoyed, and let out a deep sigh. He looked up to see a young woman loaded down with her carryon, an overstuffed laptop bag, and both a phone and tablet in her hand.

“I need to get to my seat,” she smiled.

Sidney placed his drink on the now shared table between their seats and took his time to move into the aisle. He would have definitely preferred one of the newer planes with the seat partitions and privacy—he made a note to remind his assistant to do a better job of checking the plane layout before booking. He watched as this petite woman struggled to place her carryon in the overhead. This was going to take forever. He stepped in briskly and stored it quickly with one hand.

“Thank you,” she smiled again. As she tried to slide into her seat, her large bag caught on the armrest, causing her to lose her balance and she knocked Sidney’s drink into his seat.

She looked at him, embarrassed. Sidney rolled his eyes and before she could articulate an apology, the flight attendant hurried over and cleaned up the mess and went to refill the drink. Sidney fell back into his seat and again closed his eyes, “perfect” he growled softly, loud enough for his new companion to hear.

He sipped his refreshed drink with his eyes closed and he felt her rustle around, pulling out a notebook, searching for earphones, storing her phone—every movement was absolutely annoying. “Why couldn’t she just sit still,” he thought to himself audibly sighing and wondering how she even got into first class. She apparently dropped something and he could feel her chestnut locks brush his knee as she tried to fish it out from under the seat. He deeply sighed again and opened his eyes, she was looking at him, frustrated and flashed him a smirk as she retrieved her pen, settled in her seat, and began writing.

“Peace at last,” he thought to himself as he downed the rest of his drink. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

*****

Sidney was jarred awake some three hours later with an announcement from the captain requesting the attendants to take their seats. He rubbed his eyes, groggy, being shaken a bit by turbulence. His seatmate appeared hard at work, typing something into a spreadsheet. She balanced her laptop and what looked to be a company prospectus on her lap, referencing both as she worked. As he reached for his briefcase to find his water bottle, a crack of thunder shook the plane and he caught her laptop a second before it hit the floor.

He looked up at her, and she stared back at him—her expressive brown eyes wide. The plane had moved so fast, she didn’t know what happened and her look was one of shock, apologies and gratitude all in one.

“Maybe we put this away for now,” he said, and he handed it back to her.

She folded up her laptop and stored her papers in her bag. She tried to zip it but abandoned that task quickly as it was full to the brim.

They both sat back in their seats and he could see her become increasingly nervous. He hated conversations with strangers, but he hated a stranger throwing up on him even more and decided it might be a good idea to at least try and calm her.

“Fly much?” he asked, his eyes scanning the back of the seat in front of him for the air sickness bag.

“Yes, pretty much every other week,” she said, she was now wringing her hands.

“So you’re used to turbulence then—this is nothing,” he looked over to her and tried to give her a reassuring smile.

“Yep, this is totally normal,” she nodded, looking back at him, returning his with a weak smile.

Another loud crash and the plane dipped; Sidney watched someone’s water bottle roll up the aisle and followed it as it hit the foot of the seated fight attendant, who did not appear as calm as he would have hoped. He felt a dip in his stomach.

“You see her face now too, don’t you,” she said, “I’ve been through turbulence but I’ve never seen a flight attendant look that scared.”

Sidney was starting to feel a little worried himself and felt they both needed a diversion.

“What brings you to London, Miss ...” he asked looking at her and trying to get her to stop looking at the flight attendant.

He asked the question twice before she responded and turned her gaze to him. “Charlotte Heywood—I mean Charlotte, I’m traveling for work.”

“And what do you do for work,” he asked, surprised that he found that actually did want to know.

“I’m a financial analyst for a private equity firm,” she seemed to be calming some.

“And are you based in London—going home?” he asked as he took a long drink from his water bottle.

“No, I’m based in Chicago right now, just going to England for some meetings and research and hopefully playing tourist for a bit,” she said, now more relaxed.

“I thought, with your accent, that you were from London,” he was relaxing a bit more himself.

“I am, not London, but Willingden in Sussex…moved to the states for graduate school—Northwestern—it was the only school that would give me a scholarship and I really couldn’t continue my education without one. I didn’t want to take on loans…” she stopped talking – she never talked about herself much and this seemed like a lot of information to share with a complete stranger, even if she was a bit nervous.

The plane shook again and some overhead compartments opened, gasps from nearby passengers could be heard and both their bags at their feet tipped and spilled their contents on the floor. Sidney quickly gathered their belongings, securing his then handing Charlotte her books and papers to organize and store.

“I understand that completely,” Sidney leaned back again, needing to calm himself as much as her. “I never like owing anyone.”

They sat quietly for a bit while the plane vibrated through the turbulence. “Sidney,” he said quietly.

She looked at him quizzically.

“Sidney, my name. It’s nice to meet you Charlotte,” he smiled back at her. “So what are you going to do as a tourist?”

Sidney was pleasantly surprised that she actually had some fairly interesting things planned. An exhibit of 18th-century technology at the British Museum, a performance of _The Rake’s Progress,_ and a visit to the Wallace Collection. Perhaps she wasn’t as frivolous as he first thought.

“I kind of see a trend here,” he interrupted her. “A bit of an 18th-century fan?”

She laughed, “yes, literature was one of my concentrations and I just fell in love with the 18th century. Pope, Johnson—the birth of the novel, the enlightenment philosophies, the rise of publishing, revolutions throughout the world. It really is just a fascinating time.” She usually felt like such a nerd when she talked about this, but not with Sidney. He seemed genuinely interested.

“I haven’t seen the Wallace Collection in years, but I remember it as being fairly phenomenal,” he said.

She went into a bit of the history and how she planned to go on Tuesday morning since she had to go to Leicester on Monday for meetings. Sidney watched her as she talked. She was young and quite lovely—with energy to spare. He was feeling quite weathered and grizzled from his week so it was fun to watch someone with enthusiasm.

They were again quiet for a bit and it seemed as if they had been through the worst of it when the plane jolted upward and Charlotte instinctively grabbed Sidney’s forearm. She withdrew her hand quickly, apologizing, but the shock that bolted through him was unmistakable and he felt alive. Sidney reached over and grasped her hand firmly, his eyes looking directly into hers, “it will all be okay,” he smiled genuinely and squeezed her hand.

They sat for several minutes, hand in hand. When the plane dipped or shuttered, Sidney would gently grip her hand and give her a smile—as much for his comfort as for hers. When the captain came on the speaker apologizing for the turbulence and saying they were clear of the weather, they still sat for a few more minutes that way—as if they hadn’t heard the announcement. It wasn’t until the attendant asked if they’d care of a beverage that they both realized they were still connected and awkwardly uncoupled.

“Thank you, that was very kind of you," she said softly.

“No problem,” trying to quickly come up with a question so they could continue their conversation.

Instead, Charlotte reached over for her laptop and began to resume her work. Sidney figured it was for the best, took his drink from the attendant and began to doze off.

*****

The car dropped Sidney off at his Mayfair flat—it was early Saturday morning and even though he slept on the plane, he planned to sleep more—maybe even take a few days off next week if his calendar wasn’t too jammed.

Charlotte still played in his head a bit—when the plane landed, he helped her with her bag—it was clear from her appearance she had been up working the entire flight. She was pleasant as they made polite conversation up the gangway, and through the airport, separating at customs with a “Thanks.”

“What did it matter,” he thought, “I’ll never see her again.”

He flipped on the lights and tossed his bags on the sofa, unintentionally spilling the contents of his briefcase out over the cushions. The black notebook caught his attention. He picked it up and paged through what appeared to be a diary—it definitely wasn’t his. He flipped through the book quickly, his eyes resting on the last entry…

_What an insufferable ASS! I can’t believe I’m stuck next to this pompous JERK for the next fucking eight hours! This is what you get Charlotte for taking the later flight. Oh, he’s definitely something to look at—I don’t think I’ll ever get that jawline out of my head, and those hands are fairly yummy. If he wasn’t so arrogant, I definitely wouldn’t mind finding out what this mile-high club is that Clara is always on about. I just need to get through this flight without killing him and get this damn report done._

Sidney smirked—pretty vulgar for a young lady he laughed. He wouldn’t have expected such language or such thought—but he did have to give it to her, he was a jerk. That’s what she must have been writing furiously at the beginning of the flight. He considered tossing her journal in the trash but stopped with a grin. He needed time off, knew where she’d be on Tuesday and it had been years since he’d seen the Wallace Collection.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind notes! You have no idea how much they mean to me! Sorry I'm such a slow writer--always a bit nervous :)

“Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn,” Charlotte repeated over and over as she dumped the contents of her bag on the bed and sorted through every nook and cranny. “Where is it,?!” She went through all her things again, not wanting to accept the fact it was gone. Her journal contained her most intimate and immediate thoughts—most often in language she would never think of uttering aloud—and the idea of someone else having access to her like that made her stomach churn. She had defended every journal she ever had from the prying eyes of siblings and roommates for years. How could she be so careless? She sat down on the bed in disbelief—she was the most careful person she knew.

She had become distracted on the plane by the turbulence and, she had to be honest with herself, by that man—Sidney. She could still feel his hand on hers and was having trouble getting his smile out of her thoughts—and his dark eyes were so disrupting that a report that should have taken a couple of hours took the entire flight and she still wasn’t done. She was embarrassed about how long she looked for him after she left customs and that she asked her driver to Leicester to wait a bit as she hoped he may still show up.

“Focus Charlotte,” she said aloud to herself.

This opportunity was much too important. After years of handling domestic and smaller investments, this project was one that could put her on a management track at Chicago Consulting Group. The investors were looking for socially responsible options for long-term growth and this company could be just the one. She had to know this company inside and out before she made any recommendations. She had a plan…first thoroughly know the numbers, next talk to more customers and suppliers, third become a customer, fourth talk to the employees and fifth, grill management.

She’d been the first girl in her family to go to university—her father the first Heywood—she was the first person to go to graduate school, the first to live outside of the country—even outside Willingden in fact. She had a lot to prove to herself, had a lot to thank her parents for and wanted to be a good role model for her siblings. For such a small thing, she carried a lot of extra weight.

She laid back on the bed and mapped out the next several days in her head. Today was a waste, she was exhausted from the flight and the travel to Leicester and just wanted to sleep—she mentally scratched her plans of visiting the site where they found King Richard III buried.

Tomorrow would be all about the numbers—and Monday she’d talk to some customers and suppliers. Then she’d have three marvelous days to be a London tourist before resuming her research by playing a guest at the company’s flagship eco-resort. She felt a pang of guilt as she thought she really should go to see her family, but she wanted something just for herself. They all paid so much attention to her every move—in school it was each exam and paper, now at work, they seemed to accompany her on every trip. The texts were endless—wanting to make sure she arrived okay, asking for pictures of the hotels where she stayed or any sites she saw. The reality was that she typically only saw the inside of her hotel room and a windowless office of a target company. 

She could hardly believe how easily she lied to her mother last week, telling her she would be holed up in a conference room the next few weeks at the CCG home office poring over quarterly results 24/7 and most likely wouldn’t be able to regularly call or text given the cell phone reception in the building. Her family was used to her need to focus on work when it really demanded each quarter and did their best to respect it. This was the first time Charlotte had lied about it though and it made her feel a strange combination of shame and excitement.

She felt the toll of 24 hours without sleep and curled up on the bed, thinking first about Sidney which made her smile, then London, and then her upcoming trip to the resort. “What was that town called again,” she thought to herself, grabbing the agenda Clara, the team assistant, had assembled – "yes, Sanditon." Friday she’d be in Sanditon. 

*****

Sidney began to doubt his sanity as he rolled out of bed Tuesday morning. Yesterday and Sunday he worked to clear his calendar so he could take some days off—spurred in part by the need to shut his family off for a few days and, he had to admit, also in large part by the idea that things might go well when he tried to return Charlotte’s diary that morning. He knew it was a fairly silly notion, he may not even find her, but there was something that just kept eating at him and the sensation of holding her hand had yet to leave him. He had no idea what he was doing—he hadn’t tried to start up a relationship in years. “Do you even know the right things to say or do with a woman anymore?” he asked himself aloud. He felt like a schoolboy—uncertain and unstable—and he did not like it one bit. Things never went well when Sidney felt like that and he had worked very hard to ensure he would never feel that way again.

Sidney padded his way to the bathroom and took a long look in the mirror. He’d been feeling older lately—the weight of the family business as well as their need for other support was tiring. He felt he had become everyone’s father over the last few years and while he loved them, it was definitely a role he neither wanted nor asked for.

Things were getting righted with the business and he felt he had a fairly strong team behind him—he would never think of taking a few days off if he didn’t have them backing him up. He worked too hard to get the company to this point and this deal could secure its future and the Parker family for years to come—then perhaps he could live his life again. He wouldn’t hear back from the potential investors for at least a month while they did their due diligence so now seemed as good a time as any to take a short break.

He rubbed his hand across a day’s stubble, noticing a few fine lines near his eyes that he had never before observed. He had spent an hour on the phone last night with his sister Diana and her lament rang in his ears…something about all the single men her age dating younger women. He winced a bit—Charlotte was younger than he by at least a few years—“would she see me as something of a letch,” he thought. He splashed some cold water on his face, questioning the suitability of his day’s plan.


	3. Chapter 3

Sidney stood outside the entrance to the Wallace Collection fifteen minutes before it opened. It was a crisp fall day and he was nursing his last bit of warm tea. He craved a smoke, but apart from the occasional drunken indulgence, he had committed to quitting for Jenny and Alicia after they had learned of its perils in school. He had told his office to contact him only for emergencies and was enjoying a text- and call-free morning since he was also fairly strict with Tom to save all his ideas for when he saw him on Friday.

Charlotte’s diary was burning a hole in his inside jacket pocket and he repeatedly questioned if he should just toss the damn thing and leave—he had realized he must have mistakenly slipped it in his briefcase when he sorted the contents of their tossed bags during the turbulence. Even though the temptation was torture, he had refrained from reading all but that last entry. While he was one who always looked for the advantage, he felt that was most certainly crossing the line. He hung onto the fact that even though he was clearly far from perfect, even somewhat of an ass, she did write that she found something of him attractive and maybe her impression of him had improved over the course of the flight.

Ten o’clock chimed and Sidney watched as the awaiting tourists made their way inside. He waited another thirty minutes. “She isn’t coming,” he told himself, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. He was disappointed but decided it was best to abandon any hope of seeing Charlotte and just enjoy the day. “Be an adult,” he said aloud as he walked to the ticket window.

Even though he lived nearby, it had been years since he visited. The last time had been with his mother shortly before she died. They had met for lunch and she wanted to see what she called _his portrait._ It was a likeness of an actual Parker ancestor painted by Reynolds. Apparently someone in the family needed money at a particularly low point two centuries ago and it was sold and found its way into the collection. He didn’t see the resemblance, but she could and it always made her smile.

He missed her. She was quite the matriarch of the family— setting goals, calming squabbles, healing broken hearts. It had clearly become hard on her after his father’s death and she lasted less than two years without him. She and his father were deeply in love and while she did her best, hoping to be there to enjoy her grandchildren one day, there was always a profound sadness in her eyes that nothing seemed to soothe.

Sidney often wondered what that type of love must be like. He thought he found it years ago, but he heartbreakingly learned that what he had was really only a boy’s love—fueled by infatuation, longing to be understood, and a healthy dose of lust. He had desperately needed his mother then to make sense of things—instead he chose his fists—a part of his life of which he was not particularly proud. Sidney was only in his twenties when he concluded love must skip a generation—well at least him, Tom, in fact, did have Mary—and he hoped that true love would at least rest on his nieces and nephews as well as on Georgiana.

He had aimlessly walked around the ground floor of the museum for nearly an hour, following the pace of the crowd. He shook off his ruminations and headed to the great gallery to view one of his favorite paintings, Diego Velázquez’s _The Lady with a Fan_. He was fascinated with her dark eyes and enigmatic gaze—what she concealed seemed so much more interesting than anything Mona Lisa was hiding.

The room was crowded and he slowly made his way around the gallery, stopping to read the descriptive plaques under some of the lesser-known works. He stood back from his intended destination to view the portrait from a distance. As the tourists parted, Sidney inhaled deeply as he saw Charlotte regarding the painting he so admired.

She stood motionless while looking at the image as if making some connection to the past. Her hair was pinned up loosely and unlike all the other tourists who were attired in casual clothes and jeans, Charlotte wore a dark brown dress with a blue sash that Sidney thought perfectly complemented the portrait. There was something timeless about her as she stood in the historic townhouse. He wouldn’t interrupt this moment for the world and he took a mental picture, marking the sights and sounds and exactly how he felt—hopeful. The moment was brief though as an overwhelming feeling rushed over him that she would not be happy to see him. He considered leaving before she could notice him but forced himself to stay put—allowing himself only to turn his back toward her while he figured out what to say. People thought him one of the most self-confident people, but on the subject of women, he was undone.

“Sidney, is that you?” Charlotte’s voice was light and friendly.

Sidney turned, unexpectedly excited that she had remembered his name. A thousand things ran through his head to say, but all he could respond with was a simple and unfamiliarly cheerful, “Hi.”

“It’s me, Charlotte, from the plane. I can’t believe the luck of running into you,” she said, with more enthusiasm than she intended.

Charlotte so wanted to downplay her eagerness but the last forty-eight hours had been absolute frustration for her—she had the hardest time pushing him out of her mind even while she interviewed the customers and suppliers of her target investment. She had allowed herself far too many schoolgirl daydreams of running into him while in London. In fact, that morning she had opted for something a bit more tasteful to wear just in case. Never in her life had she let herself act in such a fanciful way, but she had decided, these were her three days and if she wanted to live in a fantasy she would. But now, her fantasy was in front of her and she really didn’t know what to do next—she only ever imagined them meeting, maybe talking and holding his hand again—nothing beyond that.

“I actually live not too far from here and I guess you put the idea of taking some time to be a tourist in my head,” Sidney smiled, running his hand through his hair nervously. He suddenly realized he actually hadn’t thought through how he would give her back her diary and scrambled for something say. Clumsily he asked, “are you a fan of, well, _The Lady with the Fan_?”

“Very much, although this is the first time I’m seeing it in person.” Charlotte continued to describe what she liked about it and Sidney enjoyed that she had the same observation of the Mona Lisa. They easily began to fall into conversation about art and the Wallace Collection as they continued their tour of the gallery and wound their way slowly around the museum for the next two hours.

Turning down a smaller corridor, Charlotte stopped. “That looks like you,” she said, laughing a little. They had come across his portrait and he really didn’t want to talk about it, he wanted to simply be Sidney and not enter into anything about the Parker family—even those relatives from two centuries ago. This was his time.

“I don’t see it,” he said and shook his head, smirking. “Are you hungry?” he wanted to get her away from the painting as fast as possible.

“Ravenous,” she said. “I haven’t had a chance to eat today.”

Sidney slipped on his coat, ensuring the diary was secure, then helped her on with hers. They then made their way out into the bright fall day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the encouragement! I'll keep working on it!


	4. Chapter 4

After walking past a few places, Charlotte and Sidney both agreed to an Indian restaurant several blocks from the museum. They quickly decided to share a few plates and settled in to await their food.

“So, how did your meetings go—I remember you said you were here for work,” Sidney asked, expecting her to go into explicit detail as she had done with nearly every question he posed—something he found delightful. Just like on the plane, he enjoyed watching her talk—how her eyes lit up when she was excited and how she used her hands for emphasis when recounting stories.

Charlotte liked to talk and was ready to go into depth about the conversations she had the previous day with some of the suppliers of her target investment – while most praised the company there was one supplier who was particularly harsh and she was looking forward to how management would respond. However, she quickly stopped herself from sharing for two reasons. The first was that even though she surprisingly and immediately felt complete trust in Sidney, it really wasn’t professional to share such details and she most certainly wanted to be a professional. Second, and more importantly, she didn’t want work there at the table with them. The hours she had so far with him talking about things other than work or family were liberating and she wanted it to continue. She liked just being Charlotte.

“We’re on vacation now—let’s not talk about real life,” she said smiling. “Let’s just be tourists – I’m just Charlotte from Chicago and you’re just Sidney from London.”

Sidney smiled at her and nodded in agreement—he could think of nothing better. He actually couldn’t remember the last time he felt so himself with another person, especially a woman. He did try, at least for a while, after his failed relationship with Eliza. When he moved to Antigua to forget her, he went through a few brief relationships and, regrettably, several unfulfilling trysts with some of the tourists but could never really connect with anyone. When he returned to London, he found it was just easier to play whatever role everyone needed—businessman, brother, uncle, godfather, friend—then retreat to his flat where he could exhale and close himself off from everyone.

“So what’s next on our agenda then, as tourists—the changing of the guards?” he smirked.

“I think we can do better than that,” Charlotte pulled the _Time Out_ from her bag, “what are you in the mood for—art, theatre, graves?”

“Graves?” he asked, taking a sip of tea.

“Westminster Abbey—you know things like that,” she smiled flipping through the magazine.

“You know, there is a lot more to look at than graves there,” he began, listing all of the significant attributes of the building, its importance to British history, its architecture, and its memorials.

“Yep, I get it. Graves,” she teased, knowing full well its importance.

They spent the rest of lunch plotting out the afternoon—they opted for the National Gallery and then hopefully tickets to a theatrical revival of _The 39 Steps_ , if they could get so lucky. It was Sidney’s favorite Hitchcock film and he had seen the play years ago, remembering it was great fun. On their walk to the Gallery, they spent most of the time debating Hitchcock films. Charlotte found she and Sidney were more partial to what she considered the more romantic works like _To Catch a Thief_ and _North by Northwest_ instead of _The Birds_ or _Psycho_ and she liked that immensely.

They slowly made their way through the museum, which was surprisingly free of visitors for a Tuesday afternoon. Sometimes together, sometimes separate they’d stroll through the exhibits. Sidney would motion to Charlotte if he found something that he believed would spark her interest and she would do the same for him. They both liked the Gainsborough and Stubbs, but sheepishly they both admitted that while they greatly respected the work, they really had no idea why van Gogh was so loved and neither were a big fan of sunflowers.

It was in front of Botticelli’s _Venus and Mars,_ when Sidney took her hand gently, sending a lovely shock through her body. She turned to him and they stood looking at each other for a brief second. “We better get going if we want to make the play—it’s our best chance to see if there are any rush tickets for the late matinee,” Sidney said. Charlotte nodded and they walked hand in hand out of the gallery and to the theatre.

*****

While not the best seats in the house, both Sidney and Charlotte were happy to get them. Neither said they could remember the last time they went to a play—and neither would admit the last play they probably attended was most likely that at a school for a niece or a sibling. The play was enthralling and they’d look at each other when there was a good line or a surprising turn and Sidney particularly liked how Charlotte leaned into him when a fake gunshot would ring throughout the theatre.

“Well, did Charlotte from Chicago like the play,” Sidney asked as they made their way up the aisle.

“Immensely. And Sidney from London?” Charlotte smiled at him, wishing that they had planned something to do after the play and wondering if he was ready to leave her for the night.

“It was even better than I remembered—perhaps that’s because of the company,” he said, a bit nervous but happy that she smiled and blushed slightly at the comment.

They made their way to the street and Sidney again took her hand. They walked in silence for several minutes, finding themselves at the entrance to Cavendish Square Gardens. The crisp fall day had turned into a chilly September evening and Sidney detected Charlotte’s slight shiver.

“Sorry, I should take you back to your hotel,” Sidney said as Charlotte tightened her coat around her.

“No, I’m fine,” she said, clearly cold. Even though the day was better than she could have ever dreamed, Charlotte didn’t want the night to end so soon. She liked him and even more, she very much liked who she was when she was with him.

Sidney insisted and offered a taxi, but Charlotte preferred to walk and he was relieved that he’d have more time with her.

“So what does Charlotte from Chicago have on her agenda for tomorrow,” he asked as he pulled her hand up, linking his arm with hers as they crossed the street. Charlotte shivered again, but not from the cold.

“I was thinking if the weather holds, a boat tour would be fun or exploring some of the markets,” she said realizing she really didn’t want to do either without him. “If the weather doesn’t cooperate, then I’m thinking the British Museum—but that could be Thursday instead with the opera.”

“That all sounds rather marvelous,” Sidney said, hoping for an invitation.

Neither spoke for several blocks, which was a bit of torture for Sidney. He could see they were quickly approaching her hotel. "Now or never," he repeated to himself a few times—“I’ve quite enjoyed playing tourist with you,” he began. “Would you want a partner in crime tomorrow?” Sidney asked, arching his eyebrows and smiling. He continued to look at her as they walked, bracing himself for a decline.

Charlotte beamed up at him, “I would like nothing better.” She felt as if her heart would pound out of her chest and that most certainly Sidney must be able to feel it through their linked arms. Little did she know, Sidney felt the same.

Upon arrival outside her hotel, Sidney turned to Charlotte and smiled. On instinct, he clasped her hands in his and gently pulled her closer to him. Although she didn’t think it possible, Charlotte’s heart beat even faster and she looked up at him, her eyes soft and welcoming. Sidney leaned his head forward and Charlotte closed her eyes, nervous yet excited. He brushed his lips to her cheek leaving a soft kiss. “Thank you, Charlotte, for a wonderful day,” he whispered in her ear. He squeezed her hands and she opened her eyes. He looked at her, his eyes dark and intense, then he released her hands and turned to leave.

“10 a.m.,” he looked back, smiling.

Charlotte watched him as he turned the corner—smiling to herself that this was the best day she’d ever had—and it was all hers.

*****

Sidney was halfway home before he remembered the diary, feeling horrible but too contented to linger on the thought for long. He could only think of Charlotte, the wonderful day, and feeling surprised at how much real fun he had with her. He liked who he was right now and couldn’t help but smile thinking about how it felt to walk arm in arm with her and the immense pleasure that filled him to simply kiss her cheek.

He paused when opening his front door, “does she think I’m too old fashioned—too out of touch,” he questioned. Sidney had intended to kiss her tenderly on her lips, but when he leaned close, he felt a surge of such passion that he worried what might stir in him if he dared. Her cheek was all he could manage.

He’d worry about that tomorrow. For tonight, he just wanted to rest and hopefully dream of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being so kind! I'll keep trying to make it better :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your gracious comments! I have no words to express how much they mean to me. Have a wonderful day!

Charlotte awoke early the next morning to a text from her mother.

_I know it’s the middle of the night where you are but you’re always up late working_ _😊. If you have a chance, please call John, he needs you to read his honors essay. XOXO_

She exhaled and considered texting a reply, then stopped. She remembered that very vulnerable discussion last month with her mentor Susan Winkleman—the only female senior partner at the firm and someone who Charlotte looked up to and felt lucky to have in her corner. At Susan’s invitation, Charlotte affectionally called her Susie—the name only her closest, long-term friends and family were allowed.

Susie was a powerhouse in the industry as well as a leader in Chicago charitable circles. She was well known as someone who could destroy an opponent in such a way that they were convinced they asked for it and then they’d write a check to her favorite charity for the pleasure. Charlotte liked her, enjoyed her self-assured wit, and wanted to be like her in several ways.

It had been a long day and they both decided to have their monthly touch base in the bar in the lobby of the CCG building. Susie had asked what was keeping her busy in her off time and all of Charlotte’s stories revolved around her family—from helping her parents with some banking documents to reviewing scholarship applications for her siblings.

Charlotte remembered Susie smiling weakly at her story – “Be careful my dear Charlotte. Family is very important but make sure you give to yourself too. Take it from a single woman who’s steadily approaching her mid-fifties and has spent most of her adult life caring for her parents—emotionally, physically and financially—don’t get me wrong my dear, I love them, but it is exhausting.” Susie looked away while taking a long sip of her sauvignon blanc. “Don’t let family take so much of your time that you forget to live your own life and find your own love.”

It was such a sad statement and so unexpected from such an accomplished woman that all Charlotte could respond was “I promise, I won’t.”

Charlotte laid back in the bed, tossed her phone to the side and looked around the room. The light was just starting to come through the windows and while she felt a bit tired, that feeling was quickly replaced with the anticipation of seeing Sidney again. Charlotte had felt embarrassed for several hours last night—how foolish she must have looked to him with her eyes closed awaiting his kiss—but she would not let herself dwell on it any longer. It was a beautiful, soft kiss and his voice in her ear made her feel almost too weak to stand. Even now when she thought of it, she couldn’t help but smile her widest, most joyful smile.

She hugged the pillow close to her and began thinking through the day. She tried to come up with topics they could discuss and plan witty things to say, then she put the pillow over her face in frustration. “This is not going to work,” she said into the pillow. There were hours before he’d be at the hotel to pick her up and she needed to burn off energy. She pulled herself out of bed, changed into her running clothes and headed out the door.

*****

Sidney woke at dawn, stirred by his rather ungentlemanly dreams of Charlotte. It had been years since he dreamt of a woman and his dreams of Charlotte were unlike any he ever had—full of such passion and tenderness, it made him feel hopeful and fearful at the same time. He was hopeful that he was envisioning their future—fearful that it would only be a dream. “This is much too soon,” he said to himself. “You’ve spent one full day with her. Get a hold of yourself man!”

Make no mistake, he most certainly wanted her, but not yet. He was enjoying getting to know her and getting to know himself with her. He had this undefinable need to protect her, to protect them both and keep everything else away—a very strange feeling, he realized, to have after just a short time together. Sidney just felt this was special.

He needed to get all these thoughts out of his head—there were far too many hours before he was to meet up with Charlotte and did not want to have these ideas tossing around his mind the entire time. He wasn’t quite sure of himself and what he’d be able to control if they did. The best cure was some bracing exercise. Sidney dressed quickly and decided to run to his club for an early morning swim.

The morning was cold and crisp, it felt more like winter than fall and Sidney found the air just the thing to clear his mind and help him focus—"always do what makes you stronger,” he thought to himself as he darted around other runners. That had been his mantra since his time in Antigua and he tried to follow it, but often failed when it came to enjoying a drink or a smoke with his friend Babington. He hadn’t seen his friend in a few weeks and hoped he was making progress with getting his girlfriend, Esther, to the alter.

Babington and Esther were definitely an example of true love—it was just taking her a long time to get over her family experiences to admit it. Both of her mother’s marriages were dismal failures and her stepbrother was widely known as something of a lothario, which embarrassed Esther greatly. Sidney filed away a thought to call Babington that weekend. He couldn’t talk to him now. He wouldn’t be able to keep Charlotte a secret, even if he tried, and he did want to keep it all a secret for now.

He shifted his focus back to the run and pushed himself to increase his speed, successfully beating a changing traffic light. Sidney was feeling alive with one block left until he reached his club. Taking the final corner a bit too tight, he collided with another runner, both of them falling to the ground.

“Sidney,” her voice was unmistakable to him.

“Charlotte? I’m so sorry,” he stumbled up to his feet and quickly went to help her. “Are you hurt?” he asked, gently taking her hands to help her up.

“I’m fine,” she laughed heartily. “Perhaps I’ve been in the states too long. Was I running on the wrong side?” she asked, brushing the dirt from her leggings.

Sidney placed her hands on her shoulders and looked her up and down, “no really, are you okay? I’m so sorry, I was just in my own head. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she smiled, looking up at him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

He looked at her and all the dreams he had the night before came flooding in. He suddenly realized he had his hands on her body for far too long. “I’m good,” he said, as he removed his hands from her shoulders, stepped back and smiled. Breathing heavily, he dropped his hands, resting them on his hips.

They stood looking at each other smiling for a few moments, then Charlotte broke the silence. “Well, so, since we’re both fine and good, we still on for 10?” she asked, grabbing her ankle and pulling it up behind her to quickly stretch her thigh.

“I’ll see you then,” Sidney smiled.

She nodded and gave him a quick wave. He watched her run away, knowing damn well he’d need to double the length of his morning swim in order to control himself today.

*****

“Character-building decisions, character-building decisions,” Charlotte repeated to herself as she worked to increase her speed back to the hotel. Her mantra just wasn’t working to clear her mind at all. 

Feeling Sidney’s entire body crash into hers had completely unsettled her. She was stunned that she was able to stay so composed when he placed his hands on her shoulders. And that she remained vertical when he stood in front of her with his hands on his hips, his chest heaving with each breath, was unequivocally astonishing to her. Every damn thing he did was sexy and she felt beyond overwhelmed by thoughts of touching him, feeling his breath, hearing his voice.

Charlotte skipped the hotel elevator and bolted up the four flights of stairs to her room, hoping that would do the trick. It didn’t. She walked down the hallway and unlocked her door, making her way directly into the coldest shower of her life.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely encouragement!

Sidney arrived ten minutes early and looked around the lobby of Durrants Hotel. Images of the owners and some of the hotel’s more significant events of their century-long history lined the hallway. While he had run past the hotel, he never had the opportunity to stop in and found it cozy and comfortable, and completely like Charlotte. He went back to the front desk and waited, considering if he should ask to borrow a couple of umbrellas in case it should rain. Before Sidney could inquire, he spotted her on the top of the stairs. Her hair was free and in waves, much like it was on the plane. She was dressed in a black sweater and black slacks; the only color came from a blue scarf tied closely around her neck. Charlotte looked lovely and Sidney’s gaze was fixed on her as she descended the stairs.

“Good morning again,” she said smiling, walking to him. “Well, don’t we make quite the depressing pair,” she lightly pulled at his sweater touching his stomach, making him realize they were both dressed in black head to toe. “I think we need to get you a splash of color today.”

Sidney smiled, “how about we focus first on a splash of caffeine—we have a long day tourist Charlotte. I’m thinking we can fit in the British Museum, the markets and more—if you’re up for it,” he said hoping she would be up for another full day together.

“Sounds perfect,” she said as he took her coat and helped her put it on, watching as she lifted her hair to let it fall over her shoulders. “Shall we,” she held out her arm and he laced his with hers.

“Absolutely,” he said, immensely happy that they were starting their day where they left off the night before.

*****

They took their time making their way to the museum. Charlotte nursed her coffee and Sidney his tea as they stopped at shop windows and discussed the evolving architecture of the area. Charlotte found the idea that so many people had expanded their homes by creating new levels underground fascinating but also questioned how much space one really needs. She contemplated talking about her own large family and how she enjoyed the coziness of their home, but she didn’t want them there yet—she still liked having Sidney all to herself.

They spent the majority of their time at the museum in the Enlightenment Gallery—exploring the cases upon cases of books, fossils, and other artifacts. Charlotte discussed how much she enjoyed that enlightenment men and women believed that observing the natural and manmade world would unlock the mysteries of the universe.

“Of course, when they did that, they tried to dominate everything so they could try to impose their order on it—they never really just let things be,” Sidney countered. This led to a lengthy, and at times passionate, philosophical discussion that looped its way from colonialism to manifest destiny to the repatriation of museum artifacts – which made them both feel a bit uncomfortable as they entered the Egyptian Sculpture Garden.

“Shall we head out? See where the wind takes us?” Sidney asked, taking her hand.

“Yes, I think I’m a bit ‘museumed’ out at this point today,” Charlotte smiled and leaned into his arm. “Lunch?”

“I have the perfect spot,” Sidney led her out of the museum and they walked a few blocks to a local market. Vendors offered everything from sandwiches and beer to books and clothing. They leisurely walked from stall to stall, sharing and not sharing their purchases at times. Sidney had a strange love of anchovy paste with cheese that Charlotte could not stomach.

“It’s an acquired taste, like me,” he joked, giving her a sly smile.

“If that’s what you taste like, then count me out,” Charlotte said, immediately embarrassed by the unintended meaning and she flushed red. She most definitely did want to taste him and could feel her entire body go warm.

Sidney acted as if he didn’t hear the comment but smiled to himself at her charming flub. “Here, you might like this better.” He walked to a nearby vendor and purchased a few chocolate and honeyed figs, biting half of one and placing the other in her mouth. She smiled and nodded, watching as he licked the honey from his fingers.

“God, I hope that’s what he tastes like,” she shyly said to herself as he walked over to a book vendor.

They browsed the book stalls for a while. Sidney found a used copy of ancient Greek philosophers that he decided to buy and then searched out Charlotte who was looking through a pile of new journals.

“Damn,” he remembered. He had switched coats and had left her diary at home. He really needed to return it to her.

*****

They spent the next hour walking through stalls and talking to vendors. Charlotte tried to convince him to buy a red scarf to add some color to his black wardrobe, but he unequivocally refused.

Both Charlotte and Sidney were fascinated by an antique jewelry vendor selling Georgian-era seals. Each one was so unique—they were all made of gold and varied stones, like amethyst and carnelian, that were engraved with sayings, initials and family crests. The idea that people wrote each other letters and that each was crafted with time-consuming precision then sealed with such a piece of art made sending a text seem somewhat crass.

Charlotte was taken by a bell-shaped seal that was engraved with a stag’s head with a shield and three flowers within it. It featured the motto “I am ready.” She passed on it due to the price and Sidney secretly stashed the vendor’s card.

They visited a few more stalls, then they reached Sidney’s intended destination—a sunset river cruise on the Thames. “I figured we could get to it all in one day if we tried,” he said then added, “I think together we can do anything.” He didn’t know why he said that last part, but he felt it was true.

They took seats on the top deck, determined to brave the cold for unobstructed views. Sidney fetched some hot rum cider and they settled in for the two-hour tour. About a fourth of the way through, even with the rum, both Sidney and Charlotte were cold and she leaned into him. He put his arm around her and they sat like that for the rest of the tour—occasionally she’d rest her head on his shoulder, exhausted from the day.

*****

Charlotte was disappointed as they pulled into the dock. She enjoyed being close to him, enjoyed the way he smelled, and how strong his arm felt around her. A wave of embarrassment flooded over her as she remembered her comment about his taste, but it ultimately made her smile.

“What are you smiling at,” Sidney asked, removing his arm from around her and offering it to her as they stood to disembark.

“Nothing, just thinking what a great day it’s been,” she said taking his arm.

“What’s on tap for my last day?” she asked, so hoping he could spare one more day.

Sidney smiled, excited that she had made him part of her last day. But he also didn’t want to think about that—their last day together. He knew she only had three days and then needed to go to work and he needed to see Tom late Friday morning and meet with some of the local Sanditon merchants in the afternoon.

“I think we lay out a map, close our eyes and point,” he said, remembering, “and then you’ve got your opera.”

“You don’t want to go?” she said, noting she did not like how potentially anxious she sounded but she had so hoped he’d want to go.

“Yes, I just figured you had your ticket and were all set,” he said, trying to figure out if she really wanted him with her.

Sidney was genuinely having fun for the first time in so long and really didn’t want it to end and thought he’d take a chance…“How about I get two tickets and we can be cultured tourists?”

Charlotte looked at him and smiled, pulling him closer to her as they headed off the boat together.

*****

A forty-minute walk back to Charlotte’s hotel took nearly two hours as they meandered through the streets. They walked past Sidney’s flat and he fought the urge to invite her up or even acknowledge it was his. He wanted to court her, not seduce her—he was looking for more and he believed so was she. All he knew for certain was that tomorrow couldn’t be their last day together.

“I’m going to be in Chicago next month,” he started quietly. “Probably for a couple of weeks for meetings.” He looked at her, trying to gauge her response. He could see her smile and his heart began to race.

“So, we could be tourists there too,” she looked up at him. “I think we probably should schedule more runs though—the food in that city is just that good. And seriously, everything has cheese.”

Sidney smiled and they walked the rest of the way in contented quiet, both happy they had plans to be together beyond tomorrow.

*****

They stood outside the hotel in silence for a short while.

“10 tomorrow morning?” he asked. “I can bring a map.”

“Sounds good—unless I run into you again, literally, before then,” she was embarrassed by her silly joke, and although nervous, she pushed herself to look up at him and take a step closer.

Sidney took her hands in his, looked in her eyes and gave a loving smile. Charlotte could not tell, but he was anxious as he brushed his lips against hers lightly with a tender kiss. It was the gentlest yet most exciting feeling Charlotte ever experienced. She opened her eyes and Sidney’s were deep and passionate. He inhaled then left a soft kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Charlotte, for another wonderful day,” he whispered in her ear.

Charlotte leaned into him, seeking more, and Sidney quickly stepped back from her and began to walk away.

“Sidney?” Charlotte called out, half enchanted, half confused.

Sidney stopped briefly, “I’ll see you at 10,” and blew a kiss before he turned and quickly disappeared around the corner.

Charlotte looked into the dark, wondering what she did wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. If you’re interested in seeing the seal that Charlotte loves, it’s at the link below. Have a wonderful day!
> 
> https://www.antiquejewellerycompany.com/shop/georgian-gold-cased-carnelian-intaglio-seal/


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi—I joined AO3 less than a month ago (I actually didn’t know what fandom or AO3 really were a month ago) and a week ago I posted the first chapter of this story. I’m always extremely nervous to hit “post” and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for being so welcoming (and Judy for #Landedfic on Twitter!). Thank you for being so amazing! I know we’ll get our season 2! Have a wonderful weekend 😊

Charlotte stood in the elevator, reliving the day over and over, trying to figure out what she had done to make him step away from her and leave so quickly. The kiss was brilliantly sweet, being close to him was wonderful, she just expected…what? That was the problem, she didn’t know what to expect and she truly didn’t know what she even wanted.

He was a perfect gentleman and she liked him—better than anyone else really. Even more, she loved how they were together and loved how she felt when she was with him. Her diary was full of her thoughts about the type of man she wanted—all of her ideas about romantic dates and passionate nights—it was the only place she had ever revealed them. He was certainly most everything she could ever desire. Then why was she so…unsatisfied, she wondered. “Is this normal?” she asked herself.

Charlotte had slyly learned to change the subject or simply listen authoritatively when others shared their experiences or talked about their partners. “I’m busy with important things—studying and working—I’ll have time for the rest later,” she would often tell herself first in school and even today. She hadn’t the opportunity to really challenge that thinking as she hadn’t met anyone who enthralled or even interested her beyond friendship. Only Clara was fully aware of her naivety on the subject and, although they were friends, she enjoyed saying things that made Charlotte feel uncomfortable and foolish.

Charlotte desperately hated feeling foolish about anything and worked extremely hard not to be so. It didn’t take much to get her going. When her colleagues teased her about her lack of knowledge about American football, she learned the teams and rules of nearly every sport so she could be part of conversations at her male-dominated office. But on the subject of relationships or sex, she was at a loss and hated how she could be so easily embarrassed.

“Courage,” she told herself. She knew she was being silly— “Come on! it’s only been two days!” she said loudly to herself. She vowed to make tomorrow another wonderful day with a rather wonderful man whom she would soon see in Chicago. She smiled to herself as she realized she had stood in the elevator the entire time, never having pressed the button for her floor.

*****

It had been two hours since he turned in and Sidney was wide awake. He considered going for a run, but he thought better of it—he’d probably end up going past Charlotte’s hotel and didn’t need that temptation. Starting in Antigua, his relationships with women had been intensely sexual right from the start, one within the first hour of meeting, and they all ended in much the same way—two people not really liking each other and Sidney not liking himself. He had never spent so much time getting to know a woman before sleeping with her as he had Charlotte—he truly liked her and that made everything both exciting and terrifying for him.

Sitting next to her on the boat, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder—it felt so natural, so right. And the feeling of her body so close to his, made him feel an indescribable ache—it wasn’t lust, it was a pure longing to just be with her—to make himself complete with her. When she stepped to him earlier that night, he desperately didn’t want to repeat his past failures.

He rolled over, looking at the clock. He’d pick her up in nine hours for their last day together and Sidney knew he needed to ensure he didn’t screw it up.

*****

Sidney unfolded the map on the café table and they determined the rules. They agreed to alternate their picks—and where the finger landed, they had to go. Charlotte was clear that they didn’t have to stay long, but they at least needed to go. Sidney went first, closed his eyes, and pointed. They both laughed at their first pick – Westminster Abbey.

They took their time reading the memorials and listening in on tours—Sidney spent most of his time reviewing the Poet’s Corner while Charlotte was mesmerized by the fan-vaulted ceiling of the Lady Chapel. As more and more tourists crowded in, they decide to make their escape.

Sidney held up the map for Charlotte to point to their next destination. Neither smiled—Madame Tussauds. They plodded forward, not only was it not what they really wanted, it had turned into a rather magnificent day and the idea of being inside had lost pretty much all appeal. After a rather long, winding walk, they stood outside the landmark attraction. “You know, we never said we had to go inside,” Charlotte advised. “We just said we had to ‘go.’”

Sidney liked the way she thought and handed her the map to hold while he chose—barely closing his eyes. He found his intended target swiftly.

“You cheated,” Charlotte laughed, “but I will not contest it.”

Sidney had selected Regent’s Park and they quickly found themselves at one of the park cafes enjoying a well-deserved break. The sun was bright and Sidney liked how it made Charlotte’s hair look slightly golden. They had just finished a long discussion on the day’s news headlines when he asked her thoughts—as an expat—on one of the stories about US politics.

“It’s not for me to have an opinion, but I will say this…” she began.

Sidney unapologetically burst out laughing—something he hadn’t done in years. “In the rather short time I’ve known you,” he started sarcastically, “I suspect you have an opinion on pretty much everything Ms. Heywood.”

She smirked at him, happy that he seemed to know her so well.

They were interrupted by a group of secondary school students conducting random interviews for their sociology class. Sidney decidedly passed on being interviewed, but Charlotte could not deny them as they all looked somewhat desperate. This clearly was a forced team project that the teenagers had left to the last minute.

Charlotte had wished she asked the topic before agreeing to help as they began to rather clumsily ask questions about her views on relationships and the institution of marriage in today’s society.

Sidney thoroughly enjoyed hearing her thoughts, especially on compatibility, and found her discomfort charming. Although his eyes were fixed on her throughout, Charlotte did not meet his eyes once during the entire interview.

The last question seemed something of a non sequitur, but Charlotte complied. “What do I think is the most romantic experience?” she repeated the question and thought for a minute. “It may seem a bit hackneyed, but I think it’s that moment after a long flight when you see that the person you love the most in the world has come to pick you up and welcome you home—welcome you back to them.” She smiled lightly. She had never experienced it but had witnessed it many times during her work travel and she so wanted to experience that moment in her life.

Sidney thanked the students to signal they should go. He liked Charlotte’s answer. He had seen the same thing throughout his travels and had longed to know what it would feel like to have someone who yearned to see him as much as he did them.

Sidney and Charlotte spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the park, neither saying anything particularly important. They both were too busy silently contemplating the future and what could be.

*****

Charlotte had an hour to ready herself for the opera before meeting Sidney in the hotel bar. She stepped out of the shower and toweled off, still thinking about all the questions about relationships and marriage she had answered in front of Sidney. She knew she was definitely getting ahead of things and cautioned herself to pace her emotions and not lose perspective.

She paused in front of the mirror, wondering if Sidney would think her attractive. She had put on a few pounds over the last couple months—"too much room service and not enough of the hotel gyms,” she thought. Her breasts were fuller, her hips shapelier—Charlotte thought it made her look more womanly, more like the goddess statues from Sri Lanka that she and Sidney saw at the British Museum. She had never spent much time focused on her body, but now she found that she wanted Sidney to like her, wanted him to want to touch her. “What if she wasn’t enough?” she thought. That made her nervous and she quickly wrapped herself in a towel.

*****

Sidney paced back and forth in front of the hotel. He had returned to his flat, showered, and changed into a suit in what could be considered record time and was quite early. He had the tickets in his front jacket pocket and was thankful he had unknowingly grabbed his coat that contained her diary because he simply could not focus. This was their last day together for at least weeks and it was becoming more difficult for him to imagine what tomorrow would be like without her.

Her answers to the students’ questions made him consider a future that he never thought possible—he would have pledged himself right there and then to her but was positive she would definitely think him insane. A week ago he didn’t even know her. “How could my entire world be turned upside down by a woman who knocked over my drink on a flight?” he asked aloud.

He forced himself to stop pacing and to limit his thoughts to only the next few hours. He wanted to make everything perfect for her and to do that, he had to control whatever passions he had and all the ideas running through his head. His stomach dropped as he thought, “was I supposed to bring flowers?”

*****

Sidney walked into the lobby as Charlotte reached the bottom of the stairs. She had her hair pinned up much the way she did when he first saw her at the Wallace Collection and wore a simple black dress with a high neckline that accentuated her shapely collar bone. Sidney folded his fingers into his palms to stop the sensation of wanting to caress her.

Charlotte couldn’t interpret his expression. Her dress was quite appropriate for weekday tickets to the Lyric in Chicago. Maybe things were different in London and began to feel thoughtless that she hadn’t at least looked it up. “Will it not do?” she asked quietly.

All Sidney could utter was “very well.”

They each enjoyed a glass of wine at one of the small tables near the bar fireplace. Charlotte was a bit disappointed that he chose to sit across instead of next to her like he did earlier that day at the café and that he did not hold her hand when she extended it to his across the table. He seemed so far away as they discussed the plot of the upcoming opera and the Hogarth engravings that served as its inspiration.

Considering his behavior the night before and now this, Charlotte began to doubt herself and to feel as if she had read everything wrong over these past days. Maybe his feelings were quite different than hers. She had a complicated history of miscalculating feelings—usually misinterpreting what people felt for her until it was close to too late as she had recently done with an overly amorous coworker. Although she kept up her side of the conversation with Sidney, she started to feel a bit foolish and draped her wrap tightly around her shoulders.

*****

Sidney wondered why Charlotte was so uncharacteristically quiet as they rode to the Royal Opera House. There was a tension he hadn’t experienced with her before and it continued when instead of taking his arm when they exited the taxi, Charlotte kept her hands tucked under her wrap. He recounted every minute of the evening then the day, trying to determine what he had done. It was excruciating and he needed to know.

Just outside the opera house, Sidney gently took her elbow in his hand and led Charlotte into a secluded alcove. She looked up at him, her eyes questioning.

He said simply, “You’re angry with me.”

“No,” Charlotte shook her head, turning her eyes to avoid his.

Sidney persisted. “I can tell. Why are you angry with me?”

Charlotte took a step away from him, her back now touching the cold marble wall. Sidney stepped closer.

She remained silent and he continued, gently lifting her chin and raising her eyes to his. “Please. Why are you angry with me?”

She looked at him with glossy eyes. “It’s silly. Please, let’s just go in,” she said, smiling weakly.

He wouldn’t move, keeping his eyes focused on hers. Charlotte closed her eyes and barely whispered, “because I have all these feelings for you that you don’t seem to share and I know it’s silly after just a few days, but now I just feel foolish and I....” She couldn’t get the rest out—feeling confused and exposed.

Sidney stepped closer to her, placed one hand on the small of her back pulling her to him and stroked her cheek with the other. “How do you know I don’t have the same feelings?” he asked affectionately, brushing his thumb softly over her full lips.

Charlotte inhaled deeply as Sidney leaned in and tenderly kissed her, taking her lower lip into his mouth, tasting her with his tongue, hesitating before he released it. She looked up at him, surprised by what she believed was his sudden passion. He kissed her again and with increasing intensity he explored the curves of her mouth, pulling her even closer to him. She followed his lead as best she could, while satisfying her own curiosity, letting her hands roam freely over his back. She found herself thinking that she in fact did like the way he tastes and wanted much more.

Sidney moved his hand to her neck, caressing, brushing his thumb across her collar bone. Charlotte’s head was spinning and she could feel the blood rushing throughout her body to places she didn’t know existed. He trailed kisses down her neck as his hand moved gently and slowly up and down her side—stopping to caress her just above her hip, his fingers extending and exploring. Charlotte let out a soft sigh and Sidney raised his lips to reclaim hers, his hands lifting her up just slightly as he pressed harder against her. She could feel the outline of his hips on hers and his arousal. They continued with their passionate kisses and fervent strokes for what to them seemed like hours but were just a few glorious minutes.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought Sidney to his senses and he released Charlotte, just slightly. He looked down at her, her lips red and swollen, her cheeks flushed, her breath heavy. He smiled then rumbled softly “those are my feelings for you Charlotte.” He brushed back a loose lock of her hair with his fingers, “it’s taken everything in me to control them.” He pulled her close again and kissed her gently on her cheek and whispered, his lips close to her ear “you have no idea what power you have over me, Ms. Heywood.”

He released her from his embrace and Charlotte steadied herself and slowly smoothed her dress. Sidney retrieved her wrap, which had fallen to the ground. He draped it over her shoulders while she whispered breathlessly, “it’s good to know we’re on the same page.”


	8. Chapter 8

_It’s good to know we’re on the same page._ Charlotte had absolutely no idea why she said that nor did she have any idea what was happening in the opera. She barely remembered taking her seat and it was already the second act. Her hand was locked with Sidney’s and he’d occasionally stroke the inside of her wrist with his fingers—reminding her that yes, indeed, her blood could pulse through her faster than it already was. Her entire body tingled and felt ready, and she wanted to go back to the alcove and kiss him, wanted to go to his flat and feel him, and wanted to somehow hide her inexperience all at the same time.

Sidney kept his eyes forward, knowing that with one glance at Charlotte they’d be on their way to his apartment within minutes. He could feel her pulse and it hadn’t slowed since their kiss. Sidney hoped she was excited about how he showed his passion for her and not scared—he knew he was ferocious in his desires and was pleased she responded in kind and seemed to share his hunger. He longed to be alone with her, to look at her and know what she was thinking. His attention was drawn to the stage and for a short while he tried to understand what the hell was going on as he watched the tenor, Tom, marry Baba the Turk.

Neither Sidney nor Charlotte realized the opera had ended until the audience stood for an ovation. Sidney turned to Charlotte whose pulse had finally decelerated—just barely. He wanted to tell her how wonderful she was, show her what she truly meant to him, and reveal that he was thinking about a future with her, but all he could come up with was, “my flat?” Charlotte nodded and they quickly navigated their way through the crowd and into a cab.

*****

Sidney closed the door behind him and led Charlotte to the living room, removing her wrap and laying it and his coat on the back of the sofa. Charlotte found his home charming and she couldn’t explain it, but his home felt like his embrace and she felt safe there.

“Can I get you anything,” he asked, just wanting to kiss her.

Charlotte stepped close to him, shaking her head softly. Sidney took her hands in his and leaned his forehead to hers. He kissed her tenderly, sending a wonderfully warm feeling through her body. The feeling emboldened Charlotte and she pushed Sidney’s suit jacket from his shoulders and down his arms, letting it fall to the floor. He loved how spirited she was and needed her in his arms now.

Sidney rested against the back of the couch to bring himself eye to eye with her. He slowly wrapped his arms around Charlotte’s waist and pulled her in close. He smiled, taking in every part of her—each lash, each freckle, her dimpled chin—he wanted to memorize every aspect of her lovely face. 

Charlotte rested her hands on his chest, she could feel his heart beating and it almost felt as if it was beating through her as well. She studied his eyes, his lips, wanting so desperately to gently lay kisses from his jaw, down his neck and across his beautiful and manly Adam’s apple. This was the first time she felt such desire and the combination of her powerful feelings for him and intense longing was inebriating.

Sidney grazed his hand up her back and rested it at her neck, stroking the curls at her nape. His fingers sought out the pins that restrained her hair, removing them one by one until her locks fell around her shoulders. Charlotte shook her head lightly to let her hair flow down then Sidney brushed the tousled strands away from her face. He led her lips to his and lovingly began to kiss her, his hands stroking her back, pulling her ever closer.

As she responded in kind with every kiss, every playful bite, Charlotte felt more confident and moved her hands slowly up his chest, lacing them behind his neck, collapsing any space between them. They were so close, but Charlotte desperately wanted to be closer, she wanted to feel his skin, to look at him. She slowly moved her hands to unknot his tie. 

Sidney gasped, then grasped her hands. Charlotte had never removed a man’s tie before and managed to tighten it instead. Sidney breathlessly laughed, “that’s not really something I’m into,” giving her a wicked grin and Charlotte shyly returned the gesture. He quickly removed his tie, letting it fall to the floor, then pulled her to him again, laying kisses down her neck and across her collar bone.

Every one of Sidney’s kisses made her want so much more. Charlotte resumed her mission to feel him and worked to unbutton his shirt, her hands pushing it open and traveling slowly around his sculpted chest to embrace his muscular back.

The feeling of her hands on his bare skin was electrifying and Sidney desperately needed to return his lips to hers. While kissing her with increased intensity, he let his hands explore her lower back and areas beyond that he had not originally intended, pulling her hips into him. Charlotte broke the kiss, her lips moving across his face, across his jaw, finding the supplest spot under his ear to caress him with her tongue. Sidney’s deep moan gave Charlotte the courage to move her hands lower down his back, letting her fingers explore the skin just under his waistband, driving him to hold her even closer.

Sidney gently pulled her face to his, “do you trust me Charlotte?” he asked, his eyes loving.

“Absolutely,” she said, before she gave her answer any thought. But it was the truth.

Sidney’s eyes locked with hers as his hands traveled up her back, finding the zipper of her dress. He slowly lowered it and Charlotte nodded as he let the dress drop the floor. She stood in front of him, her black silk slip with delicate and intricate lace trim was not what he expected, but he was wonderfully pleased and pulled her close to kiss her again. The feeling of the silk against his chest, her bare arms on his, caused him to question the vow he made to limit what they did to the living room. They only had hours tonight and Sidney wanted more than hours—he wanted days with her when they became one. Tonight, in the short time they had, he wanted to show Charlotte his deep passion for her so she truly understood how much he honestly cherished her.

His lips left hers and he placed light kisses as he moved to her ear, “you are the most amazing woman Charlotte Heywood,” he whispered. Charlotte shuttered at the words and steadied herself by putting her hands on his thighs. The sensation was pure ecstasy for Sidney and he responded by sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her to the front of the couch, where he sat with her on his lap, her legs straddling his. He kissed her with such force that Charlotte needed to push him away briefly for air, before greedily returning her lips to his.

Sidney stroked her sides, his fingers lingering, caressing the full round edges of her breasts through her slip. Charlotte found her silk slip suddenly stifling and needed it off immediately. She bit his lip friskily and looked directly in his eyes – “Take this off now.”

Sidney smiled and slowly teased her, raising then lowering the slip as his fingers lightly brushed her stomach and the sensitive skin just under her breasts. The feeling of his hands sent exquisite sensations through her and she could feel herself becoming increasingly ready for him, her black scalloped lace panties wet with her anticipation. She pulled him back to her and kissed him hungrily, her tongue plunging and exploring his.

Breathlessly they parted lips. “Raise your arms,” Sidney said through an exhaled breath. He slowly slid the slip up over her arms, letting it float slowly to the floor. He looked at her, breathing deeply. She was the most beautiful woman he could ever imagine. Charlotte parted then seductively licked her lips in response to his penetrating gaze, sending intense shocks through Sidney’s body. 

Sidney laced his arms under hers and held her shoulders as he pulled her back so he could explore the soft skin of her chest. His gentle kisses were so stirring and the anticipation that his lips may soon find her breasts caused Charlotte to need to brace herself—digging her fingers into his thighs.

Even more aroused, Sidney found her lips again and his hands urgently found her breasts, cupping them gently, his fingers caressing her erect nipples through the lace of her bra.

Charlotte slid her arms over his shoulders, stroking the back of his neck. The feeling of his hands on her was overpowering and she felt she needed to hold on tightly. “Softer please,” Sidney growled to Charlotte, she had her fingers in his hair and was pulling too hard.

She released her hands, “it’s not my fault,” she kissed then lovingly bit his jaw, “you’re doing this to me.” Sidney smiled mischievously and continued with a passionate kiss.

She moaned lightly as Sidney moved his lips to caress her earlobe, one hand caressing her breast, the other slowly traveling down her stomach to her inner thigh. Charlotte grabbed at the back of the couch to hold herself up—she clutched his coat and stopped cold. She knew the feel of the rip on the cover of her diary.

Sidney could feel the disconnection between them and pulled Charlotte forward to look at her. Her eyes were wet with tears, her diary in her hand.

Charlotte quickly untangled from him, stumbling back.

Sidney had never seen someone look so wounded in his life and he knew immediately that he was responsible for it. He realized what she was thinking and tried to explain… “Charlotte, it’s not what you think.”

She wasn’t listening to him. Within what seemed seconds she had redressed, leaving her dress half unzipped, her wrap draped tightly around her. She tried to find the pins for her hair, but they were scattered on the floor. Suddenly she stopped and looked at him with a look of rage and determination he’d never seen.

“Was this a game to you?” Charlotte’s voice was strong though strained by a combination of tears, anger and confusion. “Was my diary your damn playbook?”

Every memory of the last three days quickly played through her head and she could match nearly each one with a wish or a dream the diary contained—everything from how he held her on the river cruise to how he walked with her arm in arm…even to how he unpinned her hair. She was going to be sick.

“No, of course not,” Sidney pleaded. “I just kept forgetting to return it—I meant to do it that first day at the Wallace Collection and I became so captivated with you I, I forgot.”

“You forgot!” Charlotte shot back at him with a half laugh, her tears streaming heavy as she realized what a fool she was. She felt raw and betrayed and just needed to go.

“What you wrote about me…I just wanted to meet you, to see you again,” he tried.

Sidney could barely make out her words through her tears. “Was I just an amusement?!—something to do on your vacation?” Charlotte made her way to the door and Sidney rushed to her, stopping as she raised her hand to halt him.

“Here, you can fucking keep it,” Charlotte threw the diary at him. “It’s the only piece of me you’ll ever have.” She turned and ran out the door.

Sidney was stunned and couldn’t think. It had all happened too fast. He gathered himself then quickly chased after her into the cold. Charlotte had already made her way halfway down the block, and before he could reach her, she disappeared into a cab and was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Sidney sat on the couch with the diary in this hands. He desperately fought the urge to go to her hotel. Emotions were too high and he needed to think this through with a level head and give her time to cool down.

He couldn’t believe how thoughtless he had been. He knew her well enough now to understand her anger. Even if he could get her to trust that he had only read her last entry, it wouldn’t make up for his carelessness with her feelings. At that moment when he looked at her on his lap with the diary in her hand, he realized that it must have been torture for her to think her most intimate feelings were lost or had become the entertainment of another. The fact that he had withheld its whereabouts for days was more than unkind, it was cruel.

The last thing he wanted to do, ever, was hurt her. And no matter how unintentional it was, he most certainly did just that. He was exhausted and shifted to lay down, resting the diary on his chest. He’d go to her first thing in the morning and put this right. He had to. He had no choice. Sidney simply couldn’t live without her.

*****

Charlotte hid her face from the desk staff as she tried to quickly make her way to the elevator. She had yet to stop crying and she was feeling lightheaded and tired. She leaned against the back of the elevator wall and worked to compose herself. She could barely remember the last fifteen minutes and tried to recall what she even said to Sidney. All she truly remembered was the need to escape and find somewhere safe to be alone. In the cab she had repeatedly chastised herself for being so foolish, so stupid to trust anyone—to believe that anything he said over the last three days was true. For a moment she even hated Susie for putting the damn idea of finding love in her head.

She needed to focus. She had a job to do. Charlotte stood up tall, wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. The car was coming in only a few hours. She needed to pack and be ready. 

*****

Sidney barely slept and his eyes were raw. He was showered and dressed before any hint of dawn appeared in the sky. He quickly packed his bag for Sanditon—he needed to meet with Tom and the merchants couldn’t wait. But he knew that if he could put this right, Charlotte would only have to say the word and he would abandon it all to stay with her in London. He grabbed his keys, put her diary in his briefcase and made his way to his car.

He didn’t realize how anxious he was until he pulled up to the hotel. Sidney spent much of the night trying to strip out the emotion and get himself to think of the situation much like a simple miscommunication during a business deal, believing logic would prevail. But that was hard to do since her words pierced him and her combination of anger and hurt just destroyed him. He wondered if she would even see him.

The hotel was still and the front desk was empty. Sidney called out and finally the clerk appeared—a young man in his early twenties. “Charlotte Heywood’s room please,” Sidney asked with all the patience he could muster.

The clerk took his time booting up the computer and then reviewing the records. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you sir, she’s already checked out,” the clerk said as he turned to leave.

“Wait—it’s bloody early, where did she go?” Sidney asked, clearly frustrated.

The clerk gave him a confused look. “Why don’t you text her and find out?” he clipped.

Sidney couldn’t believe that they hadn't exchanged numbers. They were just always together. Now, he had no way to reach her—he suddenly tried to recall all he knew that could help—financial analyst, but didn’t know her company; based in Chicago, a city of nearly 10 million people; originally from Willingden, but never mentioned any family. He became a little optimistic that he did remember Northwestern—but that really wasn’t going to do him any good right now.

Sidney pulled a £50 note from his wallet and placed it on the counter. “May I have her number please.”

The clerk looked at him cautiously and pulled up Charlotte’s file. “I’m sorry, for some reason we only have an address.”

“Then may I have her address,” Sidney asked as calmly as possible.

“I don’t feel comfortable with that…you could be like, a stalker,” the clerk responded, reaching for the money. “But you can give me a letter and I’ll send it to her,” he said, palming the note and putting it in his pocket.

“Does the fifty get me some paper and an envelope?” Sidney asked through gritted teeth.

Sidney had so much to say, but he settled for the essentials. He sealed the envelope, wrote her name and handed it to the clerk. “Can you please make sure it gets out as early as possible today, really, please,” Sidney nearly pleaded.

Sidney’s imploring disposition made it clear to the clerk just how important this letter really was. “It will be in the first post, sir.”

*****

Charlotte slept nearly the entire four-hour ride to Sanditon. She still felt drained, but at least the feeling of nausea had passed. She had gone through so many emotions over the last several hours that she simply didn’t know what she felt or what she should be feeling. It was all just confusing—mostly because she couldn’t really define how she felt about Sidney, she only knew that she just hurt.

Regardless of what she said last night, in the light of day, she couldn’t convince herself that the man she spent all that time with could be that cruel. She wished that her heightened emotions, or more appropriately, blinding passion and seething hormones, hadn’t driven her to run and she instead had calmed down and talked it through. 

What she was upset the most about though was that while she felt betrayed, the only person she wanted to talk to about how she felt was Sidney. She wanted him to hold her hand like he had on the plane and tell her everything was going to be okay. She thought to call her father, her sister Allison, Susie, even Clara—but they all now seemed so far away from her. They couldn’t understand this—this was just between her and Sidney.

She repeatedly locked and unlocked her phone, resisting the urge to contact him. When she finally decided to call him, the tears returned as she realized they had never exchanged numbers. And more than that, she actually never learned his last name. “How could I spend three days with a man and contemplate even having a future with him and not know his last name!” Charlotte mentally screamed to herself. “What kind of sentimental haze have I been in!”

Charlotte felt sick again and immediately asked the driver to pull over so she could get some air. She leaned against the car, closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. The crisp sea air calmed her and she opened her eyes, taking in the expansive view of the ocean. In the distance, amongst the white cliffs, she could see her destination—Sanditon. She committed there and then to focus on her job, do it right, then return to London to find Sidney so that she could get to the truth.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me and for all the support! Have a wonderful day!

Sidney pulled into the Sanditon Resort on autopilot, barely remembering anything of the road. He spent the first part of the drive thinking of all the simple ways this could have been avoided. He recreated his first encounter with her at the Wallace Collection – inserting lines that he might have easily worked into the conversation in retrospect… _“Hi Charlotte, it’s great to see you. I found this in my bag and wanted to return it. Would you like to have lunch?”_ Or when he bumped into her running – _“Hey this reminds me–on the plane with all that turbulence, I think a book of yours ended up in my bag. I’ll bring it at 10.”_ He did this dozens of times, and with each one he hoped he could go back and redo it, putting everything right.

The back half of the drive was different—he started to get angry and not with himself. He couldn’t understand how she could run out like that—and then just disappear. She could have at least left word for him at her hotel. After the three days they spent together, and what they were beginning to share, didn’t he at least earn the right to a conversation? How could she so quickly assume his intentions were so base, so dishonorable? He most certainly had things in his past that he should and did feel shame for, but he was increasingly hurt that she had questioned his integrity over a mistake. For someone whose mantra was _Do what makes you stronger_ , Sidney was not liking how weak, how powerless he felt. He asked himself aloud, “maybe I should just forget her completely, forget relationships and fuck whomever I want—I don’t need this damn distraction.”

He knew he didn’t believe a word of what he said and in fact, he desperately clung to the hope that the clerk had sent his letter, she would read it and reach out to him, and they would meet again in Chicago. And all of that seemed like an eternity, if it actually happened at all. Right now he needed to focus.

He stiffened himself before opening his door to the valet. He couldn’t play the role of forlorn or angry Sidney now, he needed to be a businessman who warmly greeted his employees and guests. He had an important deal that would impact not only his family, but the families of the thousands of people he employed.

After making the rounds with the team and spending time with new guests in the lobby, Sidney retreated to his room that also doubled as his office. It was a small apartment that he added as part of the most recent renovations. It was located on the ground floor, beyond the event and operations space, secluded from guest rooms. Three of the four walls were floor-to-ceiling glass with magnificent views of the ocean. The location allowed him private access to the cove that he so enjoyed for swimming and thanks to some well-placed warning and no trespassing signs, no guests had yet to brave the cliffs to reach that area of the resort or the private access to his secluded beach.

He tossed his bags on the bed and looked out at the ocean. “I think Charlotte would like it here,” he said to himself. He turned to the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face and brace himself for the hurricane that would be Tom.

*****

Charlotte felt exhausted as her car pulled into the resort. She was immediately impressed with the service – everyone seemed to want to help her. The attendant not only took her luggage but everything she carried, asking if she needed any water, juice, mimosa. When she arrived at the front desk, the attendant took one look at her and immediately called the resort manager, indicating there was a guest who needed attention.

A robust and cheerful man quickly appeared at Charlotte’s arm. “My dear, I’m Arthur Parker, the resort manager. Please excuse me, but it looks as if you’ve had an exhausting trip. If you will, let me check you in and get you settled.”

Charlotte wondered what the hell she must look like to get such a response and tried to catch her reflection in one of the lobby mirrors as Arthur led her to his office. She was taken aback by what she saw—her eyes were clearly swollen and red from crying and she looked much paler than at any point in her life. Any good hotel manager would not want her in the crowded lobby in full view of other guests, she noted.

Arthur motioned to her to sit down next to his desk and cheerfully but concernedly asked questions about how she felt and what they could do. Charlotte found it a little unsettling and hoped they did this for every guest who looked out of sorts—feeling maybe they knew she was there to evaluate their operations. She pulled out her registration papers remembering they really shouldn’t be able to tell her identity since the firm booked the room under a different company name and she could access it only through a code number, never needing to give them her credentials. Anonymity made it much easier for her to do her job and get the real experience.

Charlotte handed Arthur her registration papers and he commented, “Ah, the need for confidentiality. I understand. I’m sorry to be so bold, but usually, when I see this, guests are going through a bad divorce or breakup. Please know that you have friends here,” he said, patting her hands.

After a few moments, Arthur began, “If I may, miss, you look like you may have had a rough experience and your room isn’t perfect yet and won’t be until check-in this afternoon. I can offer you a room now, but it’s not an ocean view, and I really think you need to see the ocean.” He nodded again, “I think it will be the best for your psyche.”

Charlotte agreed, she wanted to be able to see the sunrise over the ocean.

“Since we don’t have the room yet, I think you could use some time in our spa. We have a fairly extensive set up—any personal service you need as well as saunas, steam rooms, pools, and all the other usual accoutrements,” he said almost gleefully. “A few hours at the spa will have you right as rain—oh and to be very clear, it’s all on us. We just want all of our guests to feel as well as possible.” Arthur smiled broadly, “and if you want to talk about anything, I’m always here.”

Charlotte agreed some time in the spa may be the best plan for the rest of the morning. It was on her list to evaluate anyway. She made a mental note about their generous service as well as a reminder to look at the operating margins of their spa business—how could they make money if they gave their services for free? 

Within minutes Arthur led her to the spa entrance. “This is my sister Diana, she runs the spas for all of our locations,” said Arthur, embracing Diana with a quick hug. “Diana, this is um…”

“Charlotte,” she responded pleasantly and extended her hand. Diana responded by giving Charlotte a hug.

“Don’t worry Arthur, Charlotte and I will be fast friends and I’ll get her all she needs,” Diana smiled broadly and quickly recounted all of things they could do to help Charlotte feel better. Being the oldest of a brood of siblings, Charlotte was always the one taking care of others, and here it felt so comforting to be so cared for.

“How about we get you out of those clothes, into a robe and one of our lavender steam rooms—that always does the trick,” Diana cheerily said, putting an arm around Charlotte and leading her to the lockers.

*****

Sidney arrived at Tom’s office ten minutes later than the appointed time, knowing full well he’d have another five minutes to wait. He usually enjoyed catching up with Tom’s assistant and hearing about her family and all the news of the town, but today he just wanted to get things done and hopefully have time before sunset for a brisk swim.

“Sidney!” Tom quickened his stride as he entered his office. “Welcome back! I’m so happy you’re here. Mary and the children are desperate to see you.” Tom gave him a brotherly embrace and Sidney welcomed the comfort of family.

“How are you Tom, and Mary and the kids?” Sidney asked, missing them all so—it had been two months since he’d made it back to Sanditon and was surprised at how he suddenly felt very happy to be there after the last few days. Tom regaled him with all the latest news, detailing the numerous commitments the children had planned for the coming weekend as well as Mary’s progress on the restoration of Trafalgar House. Sidney had thought they might serve as some distraction for him the next few days, but it sounded as if their weekend was packed.

“With all that going on this weekend, are you going to have enough time to prepare for the meeting with the analyst on Monday?” Sidney asked, a bit concerned. This was too important for Tom to wing it.

Tom did not disappoint as he handed Sidney a file with a detailed approach to the meeting. Sidney and Tom had their day of reckoning a few years ago and Sidney was often amazed at how well they’d worked together since. They both shared the title of CEO—Tom focused on the vision, Sidney on the execution. Tom could wow and inspire anyone with his innovative and often fantastical ideas. Sidney, with his tested operational experience and additional role as board chairman, instilled confidence that those ideas could actually be brought to life and make money. They spent the rest of their time together discussing some of those ideas, selectively choosing which ones they might share on Monday with the analyst.

“Before you leave,” Tom interrupted Sidney as he headed out to meet with the local merchants. “I need your most solemn promise that you’ll come to dinner Monday—the girls and Henry were adamant that I get your pledge. In fact, I think the girls are planning to play ‘fancy dress ball’ so be ready to dance,” Tom laughed and did an awkward twirl.

He rolled his eyes at Tom for the dance, “I can’t commit to dancing, but I will be there for dinner.” Sidney gave a nod and left for town. 

*****

If Charlotte had to make her investment recommendation on the spa alone, she’d give it an unequivocal yes. After just five minutes in the steam room, Charlotte began to feel human again, calmer and more clear-headed, although the pang of not being able to contact Sidney was ever-present.

Diana was extremely knowledgeable and Charlotte used the opportunity to quiz her on their sustainability efforts and their overall operations. Focusing on her work was providing some distraction. After the spa, she took a car into town to chat up some of the local business owners. Those that she met were incredibly supportive of the resort management and how they worked together to establish Sanditon as a year-round destination, providing a consistent flow of income for the local community. One shared that while there seemed to have been some family issues a few years back, the Parker clan seemed to be a fairly united front now. 

Charlotte found the town charming and, while she couldn’t define it, there was something very comforting about it all. It was like an embrace—she realized it was the same way she felt when she first entered Sidney’s apartment, safe and happy. As the driver held the car door open for her return to the resort, Charlotte stopped and surveyed the street. She thought she could feel Sidney and desperately searched for him among the faces. Chalking the feeling up to her lack of sleep, she sat in the car and the driver closed the door. 

*****

“Is that her?” Sidney questioned aloud, driving to meet the local business owners for their quarterly meeting to discuss current trends and new ideas. His eyes had caught the back of Charlotte’s head, her hair blowing in the wind as she entered the car. If it hadn’t been the third time he thought he saw her on his drive into town, he might have stopped.

His meeting with the twenty or so business owners was fairly typical except for two things. The first was that Sidney was distracted by nearly every person walking by, and while the others didn’t notice, Sidney missed nearly half of the conversation. The second was that the owners shared how several of them had been visited earlier that day by a rather lovely resort guest looking for information on its management. In this news, Sidney was very interested, realizing the analyst he was meeting Monday could be here early and could be Charlotte.

Sidney rushed back to the hotel and checked the guest logs. No mention of Heywood or the investment firm he was negotiating with, CCG. With everyone checking in for the weekend, Arthur was just finishing up a rather exhausting day when Sidney called him over. Sidney wanted to be sure. “Have you checked in anyone named Charlotte today?”

Arthur looked at him happy but rather exasperated, “of course I have—it’s been one of the most popular ladies’ names for centuries—I think I’ve run into about 14 or so today alone.” Sidney patted him lovingly on the back and thanked him. Disappointed, Sidney opted to take dinner in his room and get some sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

As she sat on the edge of her bed watching the sunrise, Charlotte was quite happy she had listened to Arthur and waited for an ocean-view room. She was surprised that she slept so well and was thankful her dreams were full of the passionate kisses she shared with Sidney instead of how that evening ended. She could feel the sensation of his hands on her body when she awoke and the thought of him was filling her with a combination of both deep longing and loss.

Charlotte needed to clear her mind so she could spend her day talking with guests and employees in preparation for Monday’s meeting with management. She quickly donned her running clothes and headed to the beach.

*****

Sidney watched the sunrise from the shore, having already completed his five-mile run.

After much thought last night, he was relieved that he didn’t find Charlotte in the registration system. If she were assigned to his company, he thought that would entirely throw into question her motives of the last week as well as her true intentions—he’d wonder if anything they had was real or some ploy for her research. He didn’t want to think about that. Instead, he wanted to think about how beautiful she looked when he kissed her at the opera, the spirited way she argued about the enlightenment and how it felt just to be with her, arm and arm, as if together they could take on the world.

Right now, he just wanted to climb the cliffs and make his way to his private cove for a quick, brisk morning swim.

*****

Charlotte was feeling terribly out of shape as her planned run on the beach turned into more of a labored walk. She hadn’t been to a beach in at least a year and forgot how difficult running on sand really was. She was about to give up completely and head back to her room when she spotted someone who looked like Sidney in the distance. Even the running clothes looked the same as she remembered from that morning in London. The man had climbed up the steep cliffs near the back of the resort, ignoring the warning and no trespassing signs, and was just about out of sight.

“That cannot be him,” she said aloud sternly. “Stop it Charlotte. Your mind is playing tricks on you. Turn around and go back to your room now,” she ordered herself. Thirty seconds later she was trailing after him. It seemed to take forever for her to make it across the beach to the start of the rocky terrain. Hiking was something she enjoyed, but it had been a while since she tried a slope this steep. She steadied herself as she slowly made her way, looking for stable rocks to secure her footing. She had already slipped twice and had a stinging abrasion on her left hand.

Nearing the top, she fell again, this time tearing her leggings and leaving her with a large gash across her thigh. She forced herself forward and when she reached the top, Charlotte plopped down on the ground and started laughing. “What a sight I must be,” she said to herself, pondering the lengths she’d go to find someone who just _looked_ like Sidney. “There is no reason he would be here,” she said exasperated. Her entire body ached and she was trying to firmly blot the laceration with the hem of her shirt so it would stop bleeding.

After ten minutes, she picked herself up and made her way forward to one of the most beautiful views she’d ever seen. The ocean glistened in the morning light and the sky was cloudless and a perfect blue. The private beach and cove seemed like the most magical place she could imagine. Her thigh aching, she opted not to follow the trail down to the beach and instead turned her attention to the building, amazed by the idea of such a secluded room. Charlotte walked closer to the glass wall, there was something so familiar about the furnishings and she felt like curling up in one of the large leather chairs. She suddenly realized she had most likely trespassed on someone’s private suite and quickly made her escape—looking back only once. She could live there, she thought.

*****

Sidney spent most of the weekend in his room trying to do anything but think of Charlotte. He worked, finished off a bottle of some fine whiskey, and chatted with Georgiana on the phone. He and his goddaughter had a rough start after her father’s death, but they had come to build a strong relationship over the years and he was proud of her and enjoyed learning from her about her important social justice causes. In fact, Georgiana was one of the key reasons they transformed the resort into one of the most eco-friendly in the world. 

Georgiana had joined the Peace Corps following college and was just finishing her assignment, after which she’d do some country hopping with friends. Sidney was looking forward to meeting her in Morocco once this deal was done. At one point on Sunday, he wondered if Charlotte would enjoy Marrakesh and allowed himself more than a moment to dream what it would be like to travel the world with her—playing tourist as they did in London.

When Monday morning arrived, he was ready to have the meeting with the analyst over so they could continue to move this deal forward and he could get back to Chicago and hopefully Charlotte.

*****

Charlotte was ready to meet with CEO Tom Parker. She knew the details of the business, had the market studies, did her own interviews, and was really impressed with everything so far. She was feeling fairly proud of herself and this deal—the only thing she was having trouble sorting out was the organizational structure. Private companies aren’t always the most transparent, and she felt she was missing something important. Today, the plan was for Tom to share his vision for the future and tackle some of her questions. Then they’d meet again later in the week to tie up any loose ends for her recommendation. She was hoping to move up that meeting, if possible, so she’d have more time in London to find Sidney before needing to return home. 

She arrived at Tom’s office a few minutes early and was surprised to be welcomed so readily. Some of these meetings could be quite confrontational and instead, here she felt immediately at ease. “Welcome, welcome—you must be Charlotte Heywood. We’re so happy to have you here in Sanditon,” Tom said extending his arms. “This is my wife, Mary.”

Charlotte felt an instantaneous connection and while surprised by it, was happy to return the generous hug Mary offered.

“I’m sorry, we’re a bit behind here this morning. My amazing wife located some of the original plans of our house,” Tom gestured to her to take a seat at the conference table to have a look.

“Is this a Nash house?” Charlotte looked at the plans in awe.

“Yes, are you interested in architecture?” Mary asked, feeling she’d found a new friend.

“A little, I’m actually more of an 18th-century buff,” Charlotte said, smiling.

“Then you must come see the house,” Tom said excitedly. “You can join us for dinner tonight and Mary can give you the grand tour. We can drive together—we’ll leave from the lobby at five on the dot.” Tom smiled at his plan.

Charlotte was more than happy to accept and thanked Mary for the invitation as well. Mary quickly gathered the plans and headed out, leaving Tom and Charlotte to their meeting.

*****

Tom’s ideas were captivating and he had a way about him that made you believe that what he said was not only possible, but absolutely must happen. Breaking the spell Tom had over her, Charlotte remembered she had a list of questions she needed answered and she began to pull out her file.

“Ah yes,” Tom said. “Let’s get down to the details. My brother will be joining us shortly and he’s the one with all the answers.”


	12. Chapter 12

Sidney knew Tom’s visionary spiel well enough and that he’d most likely thrill the analyst for at least the first 20 minutes of their hour together—a task best done without a third wheel. Sidney was prepared to field the many questions that would come after. What he wasn’t prepared for was Charlotte.

During his run that morning, Sidney had let himself dwell on the wild idea far too long that if, in fact, Charlotte was the analyst they were to meet with, then perhaps she had been somehow playing him. That fear together with her negative assumptions of his character and quick departure with no word of her whereabouts had stirred an irrational anger in him that he allowed to fester and he began to feel like that boy Eliza heartlessly used and jilted so many years earlier. That was never a good thing—not for Sidney nor anyone in his path.

He had tried to laugh the entire contemplation off as inconceivable as he walked to Tom’s office, but then when he entered the room, there she was and so too was his foolish anger.

Tom stood up from his chair, “Sidney, wonderful timing! This is…”

“Ms. Heywood, how lovely to see you again,” Sidney said, no warmth in his voice.

Charlotte’s eyes were wide and a sense of both disbelief and happiness rushed over her.

“Ah, you’ve already met?” Tom asked, looking a bit muddled at Sidney.

“We were seatmates on the flight from Chicago last week,” he said curtly. “Of course, I didn’t know we’d be seeing you here,” Sidney gave Charlotte a pernicious look that reminded her of just how rude he was when they first met on the plane. “Shall we?” Sidney took a seat at the conference table, his eyes focused on Charlotte, almost glaring.

Charlotte could barely speak; she was trying desperately to resist taking his hand or even embracing him while also trying to understand his insolent demeanor. She assumed his behavior was because he wanted to keep their private matters from Tom and steadied herself as she reviewed her questions.

She was about to begin as Tom interrupted, “Before we get started, I think we could all use some tea. It will only take a second,” and made his way to his assistant.

Sidney and Charlotte sat in silence for a brief moment.

“So I guess we had each other wrong, Ms. Heywood,” Sidney said snidely.

Charlotte looked at him and smiled nervously. She wanted to apologize for running out as she did without hearing his side of things, tell him that she thought she had his number but realized she didn’t even know his last name, and was so very happy to see him, but Sidney continued.

“According to you, I’m a cad and a lowlife who is just focused on tricking women into my bed using any means at my disposal. Isn’t that right?” he looked at her, his eyes dark. “And what do we call what you are—a woman who seduces then shatters men.”

The comment took Charlotte aback.

“Tell me,” Sidney continued. “Do you do this to all of the leaders of the companies you’re evaluating? Is this your strategy—seek them out then arrange some chance meeting, play the innocent, slip your diary in their bag, get them infatuated then rip out their hearts? Does that give you an edge in your negotiations? Tell me, really, how many have there been? Do you always end it that way—running out leaving them wanting?”

Charlotte looked at him, stunned, her eyes welling with tears. Sidney quickly spat his litany of insults, “Does it matter if they’re married or do you just play with the single ones? How heartless are you? Do you realize you are amusing yourself with the lives and futures of my family and the families of the thousands of people we employ? I can’t believe I even thought of a future with someone like you,” Sidney abruptly ended, instantly regretting it all.

Charlotte leveraged the anger she felt to quell the hurt and halt her tears. She would not give him that satisfaction here.

“So to be clear, Mr. Parker, you’re a scoundrel and according to you, I’m a manipulative, unethical tramp,” she said calmly, looking at Sidney defiantly. He met her gaze, then turned his head to look away. “It’s good to know we’re on the same page,” she said, quickly wiping away a stray tear before he could see.

Tom returned with his assistant and the beverages and could feel the tension in the room but did not address it.

For the next forty minutes, Charlotte asked her questions and Sidney provided terse responses. Charlotte seemed to take great pleasure in stumping Sidney just as he enjoyed aptly dashing her assumptions—they appeared to take delight in frustrating each other. After answering her final question, Sidney excused himself and quickly left the office. Charlotte packed her things and smiled weakly at Tom, thanking him for his time.

“I’ll see you at five in the lobby Charlotte,” he called out as she approached the office door.

Charlotte nodded, regretting she had accepted the invitation.

Tom wondered why Sidney seemed so agitated—this was a deal they all most certainly wanted. Hopefully, Sidney would behave more like a gentleman at dinner.

*****

Charlotte slammed the door and violently threw her things across the room and onto the bed. Every single one of Sidney’s words did more than wound her, they enraged her and she wanted nothing more than to shove every last one of them down his throat. “How dare he insult my integrity like that,” she growled as she stood looking out over the ocean with her arms tightly folded across her chest. While they were her words—manipulative, unethical, tramp—the fact that he could even insinuate that of her was devastating and she felt at that moment that all love had left her being. She told herself over and over he wasn’t to be trusted.

She tried to focus on the anger, but she could not stop the tears from coming. She worked so hard to keep them in during the meeting, but they could no longer be restrained. Just that morning she had tried to figure out how to get back to London quickly so she could find Sidney. Now that she had found him, she never wanted to see him again.

*****

Sidney’s fists were raw. He didn’t bother putting on his gloves, he just needed to get out his frustrations and the leather punching bag in his room seemed a better option than the bar. He was both angry and ashamed and while he was still upset with her, he wished that he could take back every word he said. He knew he was a brute and his words were beyond vicious. And he was very aware that he had just done exactly what she had, assumed without rationally talking it through, and he was feeling utterly humiliated.

Adding to his pain was the package that arrived shortly after the meeting. He had purchased the bell-shaped seal that Charlotte adored at the market and had it hung from a long gold chain. Its motto, “I am ready,” seemed so appropriate at the time—ready to love her. Now it was just a painful reminder of what would most likely never be and he put it in the back of his desk draw.

Sidney opened the sliding door to hear the ocean’s thunderous waves and the sound calmed him. He considered a short swim but knew that would be cutting it close as he had promised the children he’d be at Tom’s for dinner that night. As he looked out at the waves, it dawned on him that his behavior may have just cost his family and his business their investors, but he was much more concerned that it had forever cost him Charlotte.


	13. Chapter 13

Charlotte was determined to have a lovely evening with Tom and Mary and put Sidney in the past. After his revolting words this afternoon and her many tears, she concluded that she never needed to see him again. And it was clear that he did not want anything to do with her. She had worked it all out in her head. Tom would be her contact and she’d pass any remaining questions through him. Although the thought did briefly cross her mind to withdraw her positive recommendation for the deal to go forward, she simply wasn’t made that way and wouldn’t punish anyone else for Sidney’s brutish and beastly behavior.

She decided to make a concerted effort to look her best this evening. She pinned up her hair in the style she liked and wore the dress she purchased in one of the town shops over the weekend. Charlotte originally thought she might wear it in London when she found Sidney, but that didn’t matter anymore. It was a gorgeous sky-blue silk with long sleeves and a knee-length skirt that billowed when she twirled. She loved how the silk caressed her skin and it made her feel beautiful when she wore it—and that’s all that was important to her right now.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was momentarily transported back to the night of the opera when she worried whether or not Sidney would like how she looked—if he would like her body. She shivered a bit at the memory as a chill of sadness passed over her. Deep down she knew that she did want to see him again and that in her there did exist the desire to somehow repair it all if she could. She knew that it would take time to really get over him, but she was determined to do just that and tonight was the time to start. 

*****

Charlotte met Tom promptly at five in the lobby and they took to the winding ocean drive from the resort into town. Tom’s storytelling abilities did not disappoint. He was quite the expert on the town’s history and recounted the tales of its founding, a devastating fire, the expansion of its fishing capabilities, and some funny stories about world-renowned donkey breeding farms located there. He provided a very happy distraction and Charlotte was thankful for it.

The sun was just beginning to set as they approached Trafalgar House, casting a golden light on the facade that made the house seem to glow with a welcoming warmth. Upon entering, Tom quickly helped Charlotte with her coat and Mary was on hand, ready for the tour. Mary had spent several years meticulously working to restore the once glorious home and was eager to show it to someone who’d truly appreciate it.

“Let me show you around and then we’ll introduce you to the children,” Mary said, taking Charlotte’s arm. “I fear if you meet them first, they will never let you go!”

Charlotte liked Mary’s sisterly affection, realizing how much she missed her own sister, Allison.

“The house was something of a mess when Tom and I took it over,” Mary began. “While it had been in Tom’s family for generations, one branch of the family thought it would be a good idea to turn it into apartments for vacationers. Unfortunately, it transitioned from a fashionable lodge to more of a party house for university students on holiday and you can imagine how that took its toll.”

“It’s so beautiful now though,” Charlotte said, her eyes exploring every splendid detail.

“That’s in large part due to the support of my brother-in-law, Sidney—I believe you met him today,” Mary said. “He had such confidence in me to do this project—even when I didn’t have any in myself. He was able to eliminate any other claims on the house from distant relatives and helped with everything—from securing skilled laborers to helping me track down some of the original furniture that had been sold or stolen.” Mary smiled at Charlotte, adding, “Sidney is the glue that really keeps this family together – we’re so lucky to have him.”

Charlotte’s body first tensed when she heard Sidney’s name but softened as Mary recounted the story of his generosity.

Mary turned to Charlotte, looking a bit more serious. “Tom mentioned that he felt that you and Sidney really didn’t hit it off in your meeting today—if that’s the case, could you please give him another chance? You see, sometimes he can be gruff, especially when he feels like he’s being taken advantage of—I’m not saying your firm or anyone is doing that, but he may feel that way since this is all so important to him,”

Mary smiled looking as if she was trying to decide whether or not to continue. “It’s a rather complicated story, but let’s put it this way, he was horribly betrayed a long time ago and I fear he will always carry that apprehension with him and it can occasionally show up in some rather ungentlemanly ways—but he really is one of the best people and I do think you’ll like working with him.”

Mary took Charlotte’s arm again, now smiling, “Look at me getting all serious! Let’s take a look at the bedrooms and we’ll see if the baby is awake,” she said, then led her up the stairs. 

*****

Sidney was running thirty minutes late and felt incredibly guilty. He never wanted to be late for the children but had mistakenly left the gifts he purchased for them while in Chicago in his room and had to go back. He refused to show up empty handed. He was hoping their joy might distract not only him for a few hours, but Mary, to whom he feared he may need to confess everything. With one look, she would be able to see something wrong and he didn’t know if he could refuse her questions tonight, or if he really wanted to.

He had so thoroughly made a mess of things by letting his passions get out of control and didn’t think he’d be able to manage a way back to Charlotte without some advice. Mary had always been supportive and never judged him, but with his behavior today he doubted that may still be her way.

He quickly navigated the tight curves of the road to Trafalgar House, with the hopes that he would somehow feel more himself and not the man he was earlier that day.

There was no one to greet Sidney when he rang the bell. After waiting a few moments he opened the door and was met with the joyous sounds of laughter. Tom’s and Mary’s laughs were carrying throughout the house as were the high-pitched, yet gleeful screams of the children. Sidney couldn’t remember the last time he had heard something so contagious and he smiled broadly. It was a smile he continued to show when he came upon the cause of their merriment—Charlotte was dancing with Jenny. Both were wearing fairy wings and reciting through their laughter some made-up incantation that seemed a mix of the _Tempest_ and the _Prisoner of Askaban_. Sidney watched with wonder as they both twirled together, Charlotte’s blue dress floating through the air and a few stray strands of her hair cascading down. He thought she had never looked more beautiful.

Charlotte caught his eye and stopped—her smile weakening. She didn’t expect him and now she felt this was the last place she should be.

The children ran to Sidney, shouting his name as they tackled him to the ground. He was happy to be able to turn his gaze from Charlotte’s and the guilt that came with taking the smile from her face. He did not know she would be there and was confident that she wanted nothing to do with him.

Mary walked over to Charlotte, taking her arm again. “The children absolutely love Sidney—you should see him at the beach with them. The best sandcastles anywhere for miles.”

Charlotte watched Sidney play with the children and take pictures as they opened his gifts—each one of them thanking him with a big hug before running to a private spot to inspect their new toys. Charlotte was having a difficult time understanding the man before her. Seeing him with his nephew and nieces brought back all the warmth she felt with him in London. How could he be the same man that violated her trust and said such horrible things? Her thoughts were interrupted as Jenny took her hand, pulling her over to see her gifts from Uncle Sidney.

After the last child had their gifts, Sidney picked himself up off the floor and greeted Mary with a warm embrace. She looked at him sternly, scolding quietly, “Tom said you were not very kind to our guest today. We’ll have none of that here, sir. No brooding Sidney tonight,” she said smiling. “Now go tell Jenny to wash up and bring Charlotte to the dining room.” Mary gave him a gentle pat on the cheek and made her way to the kitchen.

Sidney took a deep breath as he watched Charlotte with Jenny. Charlotte was so gentle, kind, and genuine with his niece—he instantly knew he was wrong about everything. She wasn’t any of the things Eliza was all of those years ago and that he would assign Charlotte any of those traits, he felt as he had betrayed her again—first with the diary and now with these horrible accusations. Whatever she thought of him, he thought much worse of himself.

Sidney approached Charlotte, giving Mary’s instructions to Jenny, who ran off to get ready for dinner.

He glanced around the room to ensure he and Charlotte were alone. Sidney didn’t know where to start so they just looked at each other—Sidney with sorrow and Charlotte with a mix of confusion and sadness. Charlotte wondered if he was just as upset with himself as she had been after she felt so hurt and said all of those nasty words to him in his flat and if he longed to talk to her about it as she once did to him.

Mary called out reminding them of dinner.

“I promise, I will be on my best behavior,” Sidney said, nodding as if a solemn vow.

“As will I,” Charlotte returned the nod and they walked in the dining room together.

***** 

Dinner was fairly chaotic with three children excited to have a favorite uncle and new friend to entertain and act out for. Both Sidney and Charlotte welcomed the chaos and both noted to themselves how nice it was to laugh and hear the laughter of the other.

After dinner, Sidney helped with coffee as Tom led Charlotte into the study to see some of the original architectural drawings of the town. Their time there was rather brief as everyone was interrupted with Jenny’s and Alicia’s screams of “fancy dress ball!”

“I’m sorry Charlotte, I forgot to mention our children are somewhat dictators on this point, we must go now,” and he led Charlotte back into the living room.

Tom took Mary in his arms, awaiting instructions. Sidney walked to Jenny to be her dance partner. “No, tonight Alicia and I are fairies. You dance with Charlotte,” Jenny said, leading Sidney to Charlotte, placing his hand in hers. Sidney and Charlotte both looked at each other motionless, then back at Jenny whose smile looked as if it might turn to quickly to tears if they did not comply.

Sidney released Charlotte’s hand and took the proper position, bowing graciously. Charlotte returned with a curtsy and placed her hand on his shoulder, the other in his awaiting palm, sending a shock through them both. They smiled shyly at each other as they felt the sensation. Sidney began to lead Charlotte through a slow waltz, his now hopeful eyes never leaving hers.

Both wanted so much to speak—to explain themselves, ask questions, give their apologies, request forgiveness—but they couldn’t do that here. All they had were their eyes and they both hoped the other could see in them what they felt and what they deeply desired.

Charlotte wanted desperately to keep everything that was good between them and forget all the bad, all the assumptions and hurt feelings—she wondered if it could be so if she just decided it should be. “Was it that easy?” she asked herself. Sidney just wanted this dance to go on, he simply never wanted her out of his arms again.

“You can stop now,” Jenny commanded, pushing her way between them. The music had ended long ago and neither had noticed. Tom and Mary had of course witnessed them and both concluded there was a much deeper story there.

“Come, children,” Tom said, gathering them all up. “It’s storytime!” The children followed Tom gleefully up the stairs.

“Go on you two,” Mary said. “Charlotte, Sidney will see you home.”

Both Sidney and Charlotte knew that had much to discuss but felt at least they were headed in the right direction. Charlotte reached out her hand to Sidney and he took it in his and squeezed it gently. Charlotte returned the affection as they walked to grab their coats. Helping Charlotte on with hers, Sidney glanced around the house thinking how just a week ago he longed for a break from family, but it was family that reconnected him to his love.


	14. Chapter 14

Sidney knew he was driving too fast and needed to slow down before he could attempt the hairpin turns on the cliff road back to the resort. While neither he nor Charlotte had spoken a word to each other since leaving the house, he felt so pleasingly close to her again, much like he did when they traveled to his flat in London—full of hope and anticipation for their future.

Sitting next to Sidney was both comforting and confusing. Charlotte’s feelings over the last week, and especially tonight, were new and complex. All she knew for certain was that she wanted to be there and wanted to put everything right. Even though she didn’t exactly know what “right” was, she decided to trust that she would be able to feel it. So when her lack of relationship experience started to make her feel foolish again, she committed that she would try hard not to act foolishly. She mulled over her words, trying to figure out where to start in expressing her feelings to Sidney.

“Sidney, I need you to know…” she began after much thought.

“Wait,” he said, taking his hand from the steering wheel and placing it on hers.

They were not on a road that supported an intense or emotional conversation and Sidney pulled off at one of his favorite scenic outlooks. He turned off the engine and exited the car. Charlotte watched in the side view mirror as he retrieved a blanket from the trunk then approached to open her door.

“I thought perhaps we could talk without the distraction of the road—it can get a bit treacherous in the dark,” he said as he took her hand, leading her to a stone wall near the cliff. He spread out the blanket over the rough surface and lifted her to sit on top, her feet swinging two feet above the ground. In one jump, Sidney was seated beside her.

Charlotte took in the view—the full moon reflecting across the ocean with the lights of the resort in the distance. Sidney simply looked at Charlotte. “Where should we start?” he asked, reaching for her hand. “Maybe with all the things we left out last week?”

“Maybe with all the assumptions?” Charlotte said, looking down at their now clasped hands.

Sidney took a deep breath.

“I’m so sorry for all I said this morning—I knew the minute the words escaped my mouth they were false,” Sidney began, his eyes asking for forgiveness. “I let old wounds infect my thinking and I’m ashamed that I made you my victim.”

“Will you tell me what happened?” Charlotte asked, wanting so desperately to understand.

For the first time, Sidney shared the full story of his relationship with Eliza and just how truly painful it was. Mary had only known a kernel of what he experienced. Eliza had played some very cruel games with his heart and left Sidney with the belief that he could never truly love another nor be loved himself. Charlotte reached out to him, placing her hand on his cheek to console him.

“I know it was insensitive of me to keep your diary for so long and I regret it. But you need to know I never read anything beyond your last entry,” he said. “And it actually gave me a glimmer of hope,” he added, smiling a bit wickedly and Charlotte blushed when she remembered what she had written on the plane.

“Tell me,” he began more seriously, “why were you so sure I had?”

Charlotte was quiet for a moment then turned her body to his, wanting to look directly into his eyes. “Because you were everything I wrote about,” she said, looking for some answer in his gaze. “Every exhilarating experience, every romantic touch, even how you unpinned my hair that night, it was in my diary—and you had most wonderfully brought it all to life.” She took both of his hands in hers, trying to be brave, “you were my dream and made me feel things I had never imagined myself capable of. When I thought it could have somehow been a game, I just didn’t know what to do.” She kept her gaze as a few tears escaped her eyes.

Sidney released her hands, wiped away her tears and cradled her face. “I understand completely,” he smiled gently. “I understand because you see, you are my dream and the thought that you were somehow not real was more than devastating. I felt like I’d been given life, just to have it immediately taken away.”

“I am real, Sidney,” Charlotte said, turning her head to kiss the palm of his hand. 

Sidney brought his lips to hers, kissing them lightly, leaning his forehead to hers. “Tell me everything about you Charlotte, I need to know everything.”

Over the next several hours both Sidney and Charlotte recounted the details of their lives, including all those things they purposely avoided the week before. Sidney let out a disbelieving exasperation at hearing she had 11 brothers and sisters, but had a much more concerned reaction as she recounted some of her experiences with a too amorous colleague. Charlotte enjoyed hearing how much he truly loved his family and hid her dismay about his relationships in Antigua, even though Sidney had greatly glossed over any real details.

The night had passed quickly and knowing sunrise would soon come, Sidney stood to leave. “Shall we wait until the sunrise,” Charlotte said, reaching for his hand to pull him back to her.

“I have the perfect location for sunrise—and it will be a bit warmer,” he smiled and helped her down from the wall, embracing her as he lowered her slowly to the ground.

*****

“I’ve been here,” Charlotte said, surveying Sidney’s room at the resort. “At least the outside.”

“What?” Sidney called from the small kitchen where he was preparing warm drinks.

Charlotte didn’t answer, she was simply amazed that it was him that day and laughed at their luck.

“You’ll see this is the most beautiful view,” he said, handing her a coffee.

Sidney angled the two leather chairs so they could best see the sunrise and offered her a seat. As he sat in his, Charlotte, still standing, decided she could not be so far away from him. “May I,” she asked quietly as she gingerly sat on his lap, her back against the wide arm of the chair, her legs curled on top of his. 

“I wanted to ask you this morning, what did you do?” Sidney questioned, softly stroking the now healing wound on her left hand.

She smiled. “I’ve been here,” she said again, sipping her coffee, extending her legs some so her lips were aligned to his.

He gave a questioning look.

“I thought I saw you Saturday morning climbing these cliffs and I followed, trying to find you,” she looked down at her sore hand. “I’m not a very good climber—that was the first fall, this was the third.” Charlotte lifted her skirt up a few inches to reveal the gash on her thigh.

Sidney ran his fingers lightly over the cut. “I thought I saw you so many times, but wouldn’t let myself believe it was you,” he looked at her, still stroking her thigh.

Charlotte placed her mug on the adjacent table and leaned into Sidney, lacing her hands behind his neck then gently pressing her lips to his. Sidney caressed her thigh while his other hand found its way up her back, drawing her closer into him. Their loving kiss turned increasingly passionate as they simultaneously realized they had nothing to fear from the other—they each had only to gain.

Sidney reluctantly broke their embrace then tenderly kissed Charlotte's cheek, turning her eyes toward the sunrise. They both knew they would not leave that room until they saw it again the next day.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks so much for your continued loveliness. Something of a spoiler--this is what I think is a mature chapter. I'm not terribly good with the ratings. Have a great day!

Charlotte and Sidney sat quietly watching the sunrise, enjoying only the rhythmic sound of the other’s breathing. She leaned her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her forehead under his chin, while Sidney’s fingers caressed her hair. The comfort of finally being together combined with the emotion of the last 24 hours lulled them both to sleep.

*****

Sidney awoke to the bright, mid-morning sun—temporarily blinded by it. Charlotte was no longer in his arms and he briefly thought last night may have all been a dream. He looked around the room, letting his eyes adjust then stood and stretched his body, sore from the chair. A momentary pang of worry was relieved when he stumbled over her shoes, leaving him smiling.

Sidney took his phone from his pocket and read the text “done,” and powered off the device, throwing it on the chair. He had remembered to text his assistant when they returned earlier that morning—“everything fine, cancel day. TY.” He vaguely remembered Charlotte doing the same. He spotted her dress on the back of his desk chair and ran his fingers over the blue silk, her scent still fresh and intoxicating.

The sound of the shower pulled him from his thoughts and he made his way to the bathroom, stopping at the open doorway. He watched from behind as Charlotte in her midnight-blue silk bra and panties leaned into the shower, testing the water temperature. The curve of her back had entranced him and he so wanted to trace his fingers over her smooth skin. “Good morning Charlotte,” he said, his voice full of desire.

Charlotte turned her head to look at him, “good morning,” she said, smiling. She turned her head to again look at the water, keeping her back to him to give herself a moment to take a deep breath. She had watched him sleep for the last hour, studying the curve of his chin, the arch of his brow, the fullness of his lips that she so wanted to kiss. Last night she committed to herself that even though she didn’t know exactly the right things to do, she would trust her feelings and trust that Sidney would help her along the way.

She fought any urge to be shy and turned to face him, her arms laced behind her back, smiling again. “I thought we should have a fresh start to the day,” she said, walking to him, rising up on her toes then kissing him gently. She pulled away biting his lip, teasing.

Sidney was beguiled by her and could barely catch his breath as her hands found the hem of his sweater and quickly pulled it up and over his head, tossing it on the floor behind him. Charlotte checked his eyes to gauge his approval as her hands traveled from his strong shoulders down his chest and across his muscular waist. She wondered how something so strong could feel so smooth.

He watched her exploring him and needed to taste her. He smiled wickedly as his hands encircled her waist, pulling her up on her toes, her lips close to his. He briefly paused, then revealed his desire in a passionate kiss that left her giddy. She returned his wicked smile and hungrily repaid his kiss, as her hands unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. She hooked her fingers onto the wool fabric of his slacks and the cotton of his boxers to pull them down, but Sidney stopped her. He broke their kiss, his eyes loving, “are you sure, Charlotte?”

She took a step back from him, keeping her eyes locked with his. She slowly reached her hands behind her back and unfastened her bra. She held the fabric to her breasts as the straps slid from her shoulders, she inhaled deeply. “Yes,” she said confidently, letting her bra fall to the floor. 

They both kept their shared gaze as each removed the rest of their clothing. Neither had ever stood naked with another person this way—having someone look upon them—completely exposed and completely comfortable.

Charlotte extended her hand and Sidney took it to his lips, kissing it lightly. She tugged at his hand to follow her as she backed into the bath—her eyes studying each muscle as he followed her in. The water from the multiple jets and the falling drops from the rain shower made her skin glisten and he watched for a moment to memorize the scene before entering the stream.

Sidney looked upon her, the water flowing down his face. He slowly lifted his hands to touch her, as if to test if she were real. He gently placed his hand on her hip, pulling her closer, as his other hand traced the water droplets falling from her chin, down her neck, across her collar bone, and down her breast. His hand rested there, cupping her full breast, his fingers caressing her hardening nipple. He lowered his lips to hers, plunging his tongue as he pulled her hard against him.

Locked in his embrace, Charlotte let her hands explore his back, following the muscles down, then reaching lower, caressing and gripping passionately as her desire grew. She could feel his arousal mounting against her and had yet to imagine what to do to pleasure him, but she was confident she would know at the right time.

Sidney moved from her lips to her neck, leaving intense kisses then moved up to tease her earlobe. His hands began to travel down her body, gripping her hips, pressing her even more firmly against him. 

Charlotte felt as if every part of her tingled with life. And while she wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted, she most certainly enjoyed what was happening, although it all seemed to be happening very fast. She pulled herself apart from Sidney and he looked at her as the water streamed over her body, his breath heavy. She rose as if to kiss him but instead brought her lips to his ear, “wash me.”

Sidney did not think it possible to crave Charlotte more than he already did, but she had again proven him wrong. He reached for a cloth, but after dropping the soap the third time, Charlotte smiled took the cloth and knelt behind him to pick it up. She worked up a lather and began at the back of his ankles, rubbing in small circles, her fingers sometimes touching and gently pinching as she made her way up his legs, over his buttocks, then his arms and up his back. She turned him to face her as she soaped his chest and trailed the cloth over his taut stomach and to his erection. Before she could explore, Sidney took the cloth from her as he kissed her with all his longing. He softly licked her lips upon parting. “Now you,” he said, turning her around.

He started at her neck, slowly drawing the cloth across her shoulders then down her back, leaving soap bubbles. From behind, he gently massaged her arms then her chest, her breasts, her stomach—then to her legs.

He leaned her into his chest as he began to wash between her legs, her moans soft in his ear. He let the cloth drop to the tile floor as he explored with his fingers. With each caress, each stroke, Charlotte pressed harder into him, her hands grasping his hips, bracing herself against him. He could feel her trying to control herself, “relax,” he said softly.

“I’m trying,” she said breathlessly.

“Stop trying and just trust me,” Sidney kissed her ear then gently sucked her earlobe.

His voice in her head, his lips on her combined with his educated fingers achieved the most desired result and after a lovely moan, she relaxed into him, her legs weak. Sidney kissed her cheek as he reached to shut off the water.

Charlotte was in a glorious haze as Sidney toweled her off slowly, drying her hair softly, and then quickly himself. He led her to the kitchen and handed her a glass of water. He drank his down in several long gulps. Charlotte smiled as she looked at their fingers, which were completely pruned. She held her hand up, showing Sidney. “I guess it was time to get out,” she said before taking a long sip of water, her eyes on him over the rim.

His eyes were full of passion as he took the glass from her and placed it on the counter. He brushed his lips to hers as he pulled her close to him. Charlotte laced her arms behind his neck, her fingers playing with his wet curls. “You know, I need you to live,” he said, almost a whisper. Charlotte smiled and he kissed her again, but this time with every bit of life—every ounce of passion in him, and she knew she needed to be one with him.

Charlotte looked at Sidney tenderly, leading him to the bed. She pulled off the covers and laid down, then extended her hand for him, knowing she was ready. He laid to her side, finding her lips and began to kiss her, his hands caressing her lovingly. He generously placed kisses on her breasts, licking and exciting her as he worked his way down her body, his fingers already working again to ensure she was pleasured and ready for him.

He traveled his way back to her lips and kissed, feeling in her response that his now wet fingers had again achieved their goal. “Are you ready for me, Charlotte?” he asked quietly, his erection throbbing and he desperately needed to feel her around him.

“Yes,” she said, stroking his cheek. “Will it hurt much?” she whispered, before even thinking the words. He looked at her slightly confused, but full of love. For some reason, Sidney hadn’t equated her comments the night before on her lack of relationships with sexual inexperience. And considering her appetite so far, it hadn’t crossed his mind once. The fact that she responded to his touch as she had and sought him as her first, enraptured him.

“We’ll go slow, if you’re sure,” he said, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

“I’m sure,” she said, returning the kiss.

Sidney gently placed himself on top of her, and slowly entered her, keeping her gaze. He knew that she had transformed him and wanted to give her this pleasure but wasn’t sure how long he could contain his own passion. Sidney’s slow thrusts uncontrollably became quicker and they both broke their gaze as ecstasy overtook them.

Breathless, Sidney rolled to Charlotte’s side. A moment later, he reached his hand to her chin, turning her face to look at him. They smiled at each other for several minutes, knowing they had the rest of the day and night together.


	16. Chapter 16

It was nearly one in the morning and Sidney sat in his desk chair watching Charlotte sleep. The sheet only covered part of her legs and the moonlight was illuminating her soft skin—making her seem almost ethereal. Her chestnut locks framed her face and flowed across the pillow, and the bell-shaped seal on its gold chain rested between her breasts. She was deep in sleep, contented and happy.

They had spent the last fourteen hours discovering each other, learning what aroused and what pleased. There was most certainly some awkwardness. Charlotte sometimes held too tight or Sidney was too aggressive—his muscular body too heavy for her small frame, but all of that was eclipsed by the genuine care each felt for the other.

Sidney smiled, remembering how he couldn’t lure her for a swim. Charlotte refused the cold waves and instead she sat in only his overcoat on the shore watching him swim—opening the coat to welcome him to her as he emerged from the waves. She warmed his cold body with hers as they passionately made love on the beach.

Only one person interrupted them that day—a confused waiter who couldn’t understand why Sidney wouldn’t let him in to set up the room service table. Sidney had grabbed the cart himself to bring it to Charlotte who sat naked waiting for him in one of the large leather chairs. That was when he gave her the necklace. He was awake now wondering why he had not told her he loved her then. 

*****

Charlotte watched Sidney sleep—his two-day stubble surprisingly thick. She knew the sunrise would soon illuminate the room and she wished she could just stop time and stay there with him—reliving yesterday over and over. They only had two days left before she was scheduled to head back to Chicago and they were already spending today apart.

Sidney and Diana needed to head to Leicester to visit a supplier—the one Charlotte had interviewed a week ago that had some rather nasty things to say about the resort. Charlotte had learned that the company had failed its environmental review and Sidney decided if they couldn’t fix things, they go with another distributor. Sidney wanted it all settled before any additional investor meetings. 

Charlotte had her own work to do. There was another prospective project not too far from her parents. Sidney offered her his car so she could meet with the owners then potentially stop in to see her family for a short visit before returning to the resort to spend the evening and night with Sidney.

They both had full days ahead and she did need to return to her room and head out for the long drive soon. She thought to herself that if she were a more selfless person, she would let him sleep. But Charlotte was feeling rather selfish and began to wake him with soft kisses on his chest, making her way up his neck and to his lips. Sidney smiled, embracing her.

“Good morning, Mr. Parker, you have a job to do before you can leave this bed,” she whispered in his ear.

“Happily,” he said, kissing her passionately.

*****

Unexpectedly, being on her own now seemed a very strange sensation for Charlotte. She kept reaching out her hand as if to hold his. The memory of the last day and this morning’s passion provided her warm company throughout the long ride.

Charlotte’s meeting with the company owners went as well as expected for an exploratory conference and she was happy her father had time for a quick coffee. They both decided it may be best to limit a full family catch up given the time and the overall confusion about her being in England. Additionally, her father could tell there was something in her voice when she called that perhaps required more of an intimate conversation instead of the chaos of the Heywood house.

Charlotte was happy to see her father waiting at a table when she entered the coffee shop. Mr. Heywood embraced her lovingly, immediately seeing on her face that, indeed, there was a matter she needed to discuss. It was rare for him to see that look, but he welcomed it when he did. Charlotte had long been his only child who tended to do things on her own—she was always there to help others, including her family, but rarely let others help her.

After a few niceties, her father thought it best to get to the point. “What is it Charlotte?” he said placing his hand on hers. “There is something eating at you and it’s clear you are befuddled.”

Charlotte tried to determine where to begin and how much to reveal. “Would you be terribly disappointed if I left my job in Chicago and moved back to England to be near a man I care very much about?” Charlotte looked at her father, realizing that was a very full and heavy question. 

Mr. Heywood thought through his response, knowing very well this was the only time in her life Charlotte discussed caring about a man. “First, to be clear, we would never be disappointed in you—that is just not possible,” he smiled at her, patting her hand.

“Has this man asked you to do this?” was the best question he thought to start with.

“No, but I think I’d like to,” she said, clearly still pondering the situation.

They talked for while more and all Mr. Heywood could really advise was for Charlotte to trust her head and her heart—and know that he and her entire family would always be there for her. She hugged him, thanking him for the advice and sending her love to everyone.

*****

Charlotte sat in the car keying the route back to Sanditon into the GPS when a text came through from Clara. “See your email – sorry – I think I screwed up. Call me.” Charlotte pulled up her email on her phone. “This came in the mail and I thought it was a hotel receipt—I scanned it in for you. Call me.”

Charlotte opened the attachment; it was a letter from Sidney dated the day she departed London…

_Dearest Charlotte,_

_This letter is the only way I know to find you. I understand it’s hard to trust, but please believe me that this is all a horrible misunderstanding and I’m so very sorry for my carelessness._

_Don’t you know I’m falling in love with you? I can’t imagine my life without you. Please contact me—all my information is below._

_Always yours,_

_Sidney_

Charlotte didn’t bother to respond to Clara—she didn’t want to answer all the questions she was sure Clara would have. Charlotte was focused on getting back to Sanditon and to Sidney.

*****

Sidney’s meeting did not go as well and he ended up terminating the deal with the supplier. He had taken the fact that they were trying to falsify their environmental data rather personally and Diana was trying to turn his mood to something brighter as they made their way back to Sanditon.

“Oh, I think we need to expand our romance packages,” Diana chirped. “We had a young man come in yesterday wanting to set up a proposal package for his girlfriend tonight and we really didn’t have an offer—we had to cobble something together rather quickly. I actually think it’s a bit tacky, but it’s what he wanted…” Diana continued.

It didn’t matter what Diana said. While he loved her dearly, Sidney had stopped listening long ago and while he was disappointed with the meeting, he was only focused on getting back to Sanditon and seeing Charlotte again. The meeting had taken much longer than he anticipated and he didn’t want to keep her waiting.

*****

Charlotte kept thinking of his words – _falling in love with you. I can’t imagine my life without you_. And she could barely remember the drive as she pulled into the resort. She had wanted to tell Sidney she loved him last night, but it seemed that with all they shared, it must be obvious. When she entered her room, she was met with a large bouquet of long-stemmed red roses on the bedside table. Tucked among flowers was a simple card –

_Charlotte—words cannot express how I feel about you. I know we can find our future together. Meet me on the beach by the firepit at 7 tonight. I can’t wait to see you! – S_

Charlotte quickly dropped her bag on the desk and ran to change. She had 30 minutes before she needed to meet Sidney. She put on the brown dress with the blue sash that she wore when they met at the Wallace Collection and pinned her hair in the same style—deciding at the last minute to clip off one of the roses and wear it in her hair.

As she waited for the elevator, she briefly admitted she was a bit taken aback by the roses. She had a difficult time thinking of Sidney ordering that type of flower, realizing his assistant may have picked them. The elevator couldn’t come fast enough and she opted for the stairs, sometimes taking two at a time. She walked quickly through the lobby, where her wide smile caught the eyes and curiosity of a few guests and employees, including Arthur who suddenly recalled that her name was Charlotte and she could possibly be who Sidney was looking for several days earlier.

“Charlotte, wait,” Arthur called to her.

Charlotte paused, anxious to be on her way. She had only a few minutes to spare and didn’t want to be late.

“Hi Arthur,” she said, still trying to take steps to the door. 

“I hope you’re having a wonderful stay,” Arthur said affably. “I’m sorry, but I think my brother Sidney is looking for you. Can you wait here and I’ll call him?

“No need,” Charlotte smiled, and gave a small wave as she resumed her path to the door, “I’m meeting him right now on the beach.”

It took everything for Charlotte to resist breaking into a full sprint. Her entire body was alive and the memory of Sidney’s touch was pulsing through her. She was breathless when she arrived at the secluded spot. The fire blazed and a small table with champagne was set up to the side. She tried to spy Sidney in the dark, then felt a presence behind her.

Everything she planned to say left her and she said what she really felt, “I love you!” Then she turned to face Sidney.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being so kind!

When Sidney entered the lobby with Diana, Arthur was visibly muddled. “I thought you were meeting Charlotte,” he said.

Sidney passed quickly by him, “Yes, heading to her room now, thanks, Arthur!”

“Wait! Are we talking about the same Charlotte? The Charlotte you asked me about a few days ago – is she a small thing, big brown eyes?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, I found her,” Sidney was trying to be brotherly, but was most certainly in a hurry. 

“Okay, I must have misunderstood,” Arthur said trying to sort things out. “I just saw her, she was smiling from ear to ear, saying she was off to meet you on the beach. It wasn’t more than ten minutes ago.”

Arthur could see the concern in Sidney’s eyes as he turned and quickly made his way out of the lobby.

*****

“I knew you did! That’s why I came—I love you too Charlotte!” exclaimed Stringer, grasping her hands.

Charlotte pulled away quickly. “There has been a misunderstanding Stringer,” she said, moving away from him. James Stringer was a peer from CCG who everyone called Stringer and was the last person Charlotte wanted to see. She thought him once a nice man from Indiana and potentially a real friend, but his feelings for her went far beyond friendship. He had a life plan and, without Charlotte’s encouragement, he had cast her in the role of his future wife and mother to three children—two boys and a girl, he expected.

To him it made sense—they were both smart, driven, and cared about family. Charlotte had many times clearly stated she only saw him as a friend and thought when he was transferred from Chicago to Boston, this would all end. Their last meeting was more than awkward, as Stringer had started reviewing her client list and paying too much attention to her calendar. He even made an uncomfortable scene with a client she was having lunch with—insinuating something beyond a professional relationship. Charlotte knew now that she should have reported him. She never experienced that level of unwanted affection before and it made her even more convinced at that time that she should just be alone.

“What are you doing here Stringer?” Charlotte asked, trying to plot an escape.

“I’m on a consulting job about two hours from here. When I found out from Clara that you were in Sanditon, and she said you’d be happy to see me, I knew it was fate,” he grinned. “And now that I know you love me too…” he said as he reached out for her.

Charlotte stepped back, holding her hands up to keep him at bay. “So it was you who sent the flowers and the note?” she asked, already knowing the answer. 

“Yes, I hope you liked the flowers and I’m so sorry for how I acted the last time we saw each other, but I’m so happy now that you’ve come to your senses,” he finally succeeded in grasping her hands and he held them to his heart.

Charlotte tried to pull her hands away, but he held them tightly then gripped her shoulders pulling her closer into him. “This is not you Stringer, please let me go, you’re hurting me.” His fingers were painfully digging into her arms and Charlotte realized this was no time to be nice. “I do not love you,” she said angrily, still trying to pull away—the sand making it difficult for her to get her footing to kick him. “I thought you were someone else—I thought you were…” she raised her eyes and saw Sidney across the fire.

In seconds Sidney was at Stringer’s side, and in another few, Stringer was on his back on the sand, his hand covering his now swelling jaw.

Sidney looked at Charlotte, laying his hands softly on her shoulders, checking her up and down to see if she was okay. He pulled her in close to him, needing to keep her safe, and kissed her gently on her forehead.

When resort security saw Sidney making his way quickly to the beach, they had followed, keeping some distance. They had watched everything and were now approaching.

“Mr. Parker, is everything alright?” the more seasoned guard asked.

“No, this man assaulted Ms. Heywood—please have him removed to the local authorities,” Sidney said, seething.

Stringer quickly realized the severity of the situation as well as who Sidney was and the apparently close relationship he had with Charlotte. Stringer threatened, “Charlotte, if you do this, if you file a report against me, I’ll have to let the firm know your improper relationship with Mr. Parker—that’s a dismissible offense and you know it.”

Charlotte did know it, even though she hadn’t thought about it at all these last few days. She didn’t even need to consider Stringer’s threat—she would not allow herself or Sidney to be blackmailed. “Where do I make a report against him?” she asked. One of the guards radioed for additional support and Charlotte and Sidney provided their accounts to the authorities when they arrived.

*****

Neither Sidney nor Charlotte spoke for a few minutes after the authorities left, they just held hands as they sat in a secluded area of the lobby.

“Can you please ask Arthur to send someone to my room to remove the roses before I go back?” Charlotte asked, taking the rose from her hair and throwing it on the table.

“Come back with me to my room and we’ll take care of it,” Sidney said, standing, tugging at her hand to follow.

“Not yet,” she said, her eyes looking at him with regret. “I have to make a call to my office.” She stuttered a bit, “I hope I haven’t ruined this deal for you—we’re not supposed to do this,” she moved her hand between them, signaling she meant the two of them.

Sidney was visibly anxious by her comment and knelt to look her in the eye. “Do you regret us?” he asked, nearly whispered.

“Absolutely not,” she said in disbelief at the question. She brought her hand to his cheek, “don’t you know I love you?”

Sidney, clearly relieved, brought her to him as he stood, embracing her tightly. “I love you too,” he said as he lowered his lips to hers, at first softly kissing and then more passionately—both of them committing to those words body and soul.

*****

Susie was in Paris dealing with some sticky negotiations and this was not the drama she needed. The call most certainly did not go as well as Charlotte had hoped. First, while Susie was completely aghast at Stringer’s actions, she had wished Charlotte had shared Stringer’s earlier behavior much sooner so they could have dealt with it. Second, while Susie had been keeping track of all of Charlotte’s work and was confident in her conclusions, this sudden relationship could be seen as having undue influence on her thinking and clearly was a serious violation of their firm’s code of ethics. While Susie pledged her continued friendship and all her support, she wasn’t sure what she could do to help Charlotte keep her job.

There was much more to talk about with human resources. Charlotte needed to be on the first plane out in the morning and back in Chicago so she could meet with them and sort this out. Regardless of that outcome, Charlotte was immediately off the project and Susie would determine any final investment recommendations. Susie had her assistant arrange Charlotte’s travel—the car would be at the resort in just seven hours.

Charlotte packed her things quickly—but then sat for a while on her bed considering her next steps. She knew she did her job well and that her relationship with Sidney played no part. She also knew for certain that she loved him and he loved her. What she didn’t know was how she’d contribute to this relationship, especially if she didn’t have a job. She started mapping out what Sidney gave her versus what she could offer him and things seemed fairly unequal. She had a long list of what he offered her—love, new experiences, humor, excitement, passion, intelligence, confidence, caring…his list continued. She wondered if what she offered was enough.

*****

She dropped her bags on the floor and knocked softly on Sidney’s door. He opened it quickly, dismayed by the luggage.

“The car will be here in a few hours,” she said tearfully.

“I’ll go with you,” he offered, bringing her bags inside the door. He so wanted to help her but had no idea how—all he knew to do was to be there for her.

“No, I need to do this alone,” she said, as Sidney came closer and embraced her lovingly. “Let’s just be together now,” Charlotte whispered, resting her head against his chest.

They spent the next hours tenderly making love, passionate with the knowledge that they would be together again, but desperate that they did not know exactly when.

*****

Sidney carried Charlotte’s bags to the lobby, both of them walking slowly to the entrance. Charlotte’s car had arrived and it was time for her to leave. Before Charlotte departed, Sidney handed her the diary that had started this all. “I’ve been filling in the blank pages since that night at the opera. I hope you’ll read it—even though I think by now you know it all,” he said smiling slightly, then gave her a soft kiss on her cheek as a tear fell down his.


	18. Chapter 18

Charlotte sat on the plane awaiting takeoff. She locked and unlocked her phone, considering whether or not to call Sidney—knowing full well she had all his information safely stored. The last several hours were both beautiful and heartbreaking. She knew she would cry when she departed but didn’t expect the tears in his eyes nor the recording of his deepest thoughts in her diary.

She took out the diary and for hours, lost herself in his reflections. He had shared many of these feelings with her over the last few days but seeing them written down—including his last entry—made Charlotte miss him even more than she thought possible.

_Dearest Charlotte,_

_It’s after midnight and you are asleep in our bed. I could fill the rest of the pages of this journal describing how beautiful you are and how purely magical it is to be with you, but I believe that exercise would be solely for my pleasure—allowing me to relive the splendor of our hours together. All of those details—every smile, every look, every caress—are stored safely in my heart._

_Know that your touch has branded me and I am forever yours. As I look upon you now, I make this pledge—I will work each day to become a better man, a better person for you. For my entire life, I’ve relished in keeping everyone at arm’s length, convinced I would always be an outlier. In such a short time, you have brought me into the world and because of you, I only see possibility. I now have such reverence for the word ‘together’ and all the power it holds._

_I hope I can prove myself worthy of you for as long as you’ll have me. Please know that I will wake every day with this intent and sleep every night striving to do better the next._

_All my love, my heart, my soul—always,_

_Sidney_

Charlotte ran her fingers over his words again and again. That someone as wonderful as Sidney could make such a pledge to her left her breathless. After a long while, she placed the diary in her bag, smiling to herself as she secured it in a zippered, inside pocket. Charlotte reluctantly decided the best approach to the flight was to sleep—if at all possible—and she forced herself to focus only on that objective.

*****

Sidney knew the time difference would be an issue but was anxious to hear from Charlotte. Her flight had landed some three hours ago and she should have been not only through customs but either at her office or at home by now. If she were at the office, he didn’t want to interrupt her so he resisted the urge to call or text and decided to wait.

He pushed himself to focus. If this deal fell through because of his relationship with Charlotte, he needed to develop another plan. He was committed to achieving the goals to which he, Tom, Mary, Diana and Arthur had aspired—goals he hoped Charlotte would join them in working toward someday. He had no intention of giving up—neither on their goals nor on Charlotte. He convened his team and they started brainstorming alternate plans into the night—none were as good, but there were at least options.

*****

“I talked with them for a while and they told me to come back tomorrow,” Charlotte said to Sidney. It was the middle of the night in Sanditon and she didn’t want to keep him on the line—she knew things for her weren’t going to go well and didn’t want to bother him with that at this hour. He sounded tired—he had barely slept in two nights and she hated that she couldn’t give him a more definitive answer about the investors—they had blocked her from any new information.

“It will all be okay—no matter what happens, know I love you,” Sidney said, not wanting to share how he had his team looking at alternate investment options since they had no real traction yet.

“You sound tired Sidney—go to bed. I’ll call you tomorrow, hopefully at a more reasonable time. Love you,” Charlotte ended the call wishing she were there with him. 

Charlotte looked around her apartment. Just a few weeks ago, before England, it felt like home and now it just felt so hollow. Since she traveled for work so frequently, she really hadn’t accumulated many possessions—she loved her books, but she had left the ones she truly valued crated at her family home. Looking around she thought she could easily pick up and leave at any time—maybe she’d ship a few things to her parents, but it wouldn’t be that hard.

Charlotte rubbed her sore arms—Stringer had left large bruises from his gripped fingers and she hated that he left his mark on her. She knew Clara would be there shortly and needed to brace herself for all the questions about Sidney. She luckily had a few bottles of wine in the refrigerator and thought that may slow some of Clara’s questions.

Clara surprised her. She came with a fine bottle of wine in hand, full of apologies. It took a few minutes, but Clara expressed how sorry she was that she had shared Charlotte’s location with Stringer. Clara had never understood that relationship and thought Charlotte was just being prudish. And she most certainly never knew Stringer’s true intentions. Clara had her own troubled past and would never wish to put a woman in such a situation. When Clara saw the note from Sidney, she realized what a mistake she had made and tried to make things right, but there was already so much in motion.

It was the first time Charlotte saw Clara cry and Charlotte hugged her as she would a sister and offered her a way to help.

*****

Sidney was up early, getting his daily run in before sunrise. He reviewed his calendar for the day and saw his last appointment was an in-person meeting with a representative from CCG. That appointment wasn’t there when he looked yesterday afternoon and he hoped that perhaps Charlotte was making her way back to Sanditon and all was resolved.

Distracted, Sidney worked his way through meeting after meeting, trying to come up with some alternative strategies. Tom had stopped by a number of times to check on him, not knowing the details of the situation, but could see something was wrong. Sidney had yet to fully explain the circumstances to Tom or Mary and didn’t want to worry them until he knew for sure so he kept turning Tom away. It was definitely not a dire state—they would all be fine—but if the deal did fall through, they would have to rethink their long-term plans. All any of the Parkers apart from Sidney knew right now was that Charlotte had to leave for work—nothing more.

The end of the day couldn’t come fast enough and the fact that he hadn’t heard from Charlotte had made him hope that possibly she was on a plane back to him. Four o’clock chimed and Sidney opened the conference room door, his smile wide.

“Mr. Parker, wonderful to meet you. Susan Wilkleman, Sr. Partner with CCG,” Susan said, extending her hand to a clearly disappointed Sidney.

“Ah, you may have been expecting my colleague, Charlotte Heywood. She isn’t able to be here, but I’ve worked closely with her and I think I’m all up to speed. I just have a few questions. Shall we?” She entered the room and took a seat at the conference table.

Sidney took the seat across from her, still disappointed.

“Ms. Heywood has completed a comprehensive review and I am really impressed with your operations, Mr. Parker,” she began. “Ms. Heywood can be fairly ruthless and apart from a few questions about your pension obligations with some of your U.S. holdings, I think we can make a fairly exciting deal here.”

She began with her questions and Sidney, now focused, answered them thoroughly. Some 45 minutes later, she gathered her things and smiled. “Congratulations, Mr. Parker. I’m very optimistic about the future—I think it’s very bright for all involved in this deal. In fact, I don’t think we’ll need the meetings in Chicago,” she said, confusing Sidney. “I think we can just get these papers signed next week and that way you can stay in Sanditon and focus on what’s important. We’ll have the lawyers hammer out the details.”

Sidney was stunned, that was not what he expected—all he knew was that he needed to contact Charlotte.

As Susan gathered her things to leave, she started. “I should let you know that Charlotte resigned earlier today,” the comment caught Sidney off guard and wondered why Charlotte hadn’t called to let him know.

“I don’t know everything that transpired here,” she continued, “but what I do know is that you have quite an exceptional woman on your hands. I’ve been her mentor for some time and I consider her not only a fairly brilliant person but a dear friend—so don’t screw it up,” she gave him a wink as she handed Sidney a folded piece of paper and opened the conference room door. “You know she’s going to want to figure out some plan on her own—that’s her nature. You’re going to have to show her that you’re more powerful together.”

Sidney looked at the paper.

She closed the door behind her saying, “I’d get going if I were you.”

*****

Charlotte could hardly believe what had happened over the last weeks. She made some rather risky decisions considering how careful she normally was, and she was both proud of herself and hoped she hadn’t gone too fast. She could see the lights of London and was anxious to land.

Clara turned out to be a true friend—she had stayed up all night and helped Charlotte box up the things she wanted shipped to her parents and Clara would either keep or donate everything else. Charlotte didn’t want to contact Sidney yet to let him know about the resignation and her return to England. She had no new information about the investors and while she had some respectable savings, it really wasn’t enough to set herself up in Sanditon. She had already reached out to some of her contacts and former professors hoping they might have some leads and two of them had surprisingly responded quickly with potential ideas. Susie had also already made some lovely “virtual” introductions.

She remembered on the plane when she and Sidney first met, they both agreed they never liked to owe anyone and being “taken care of” was something Charlotte didn’t quite comprehend. She thought perhaps she should take a few days in London by herself to see what might transpire on the job front, but as they readied the cabin to land, she increasingly thought of what Sidney wrote about the power of ‘together’ and hated the idea of not talking to him about this and realized she should have called him from O’Hare. She kept wondering how she'd feel if the situation was reversed.

As they touched down on the runway, she knew there were brief seconds before cell reception went out until after she would pass through customs and she quickly texted him – “Landed—will be in Sanditon late tonight.”

She wasn’t sure if her text went through, but by trying to send it, that was her commitment not to try and do this completely on her own. She thought to herself, “Wasn’t that what a relationship was after all?—Working together.”

*****

There was no good line to be in and everything was just moving slow. She fought the desire to look at her phone—considering the number of signs clearly stating no cell phones, she didn’t need to delay herself any more than she already was by being detained by airport security.

As she reclaimed her luggage and made her way through the arrival doors, Charlotte felt her phone in her pocket vibrate with a text as cell service resumed. She looked at the words eagerly – “I’m here.”

Sidney had always thought how wonderful it must be to be that person flying home and meeting the person they loved. He didn’t realize how brilliant it would feel to be that person waiting, full of anticipation. He needed to remember to thank Susan for giving him Charlotte’s itinerary. 

Charlotte scanned the throngs looking for Sidney, fighting the urge to stand on her suitcase to see above the crowd. Suddenly, there he was, his eyes full of light, smiling warmly, welcoming her home to him.

The noise, the travelers, everything disappeared as she approached him—it was just the two of them together standing in the middle of Heathrow. Sidney took Charlotte’s hands in his, holding them gently at their sides, his body close to hers. He gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek, moving his lips to her ear, “welcome home, my darling,” he whispered. She looked into his eyes and every moment they had together and would have was there for her to see. She lifted her lips to his and kissed him tenderly. Charlotte’s kiss and Sidney’s response erased all doubt, all fear, and left them both with the knowledge that they would never again be apart.

*****

_One year later…_

Tom looked at the postcard, shouting out to Mary, “New Caledonia! That’s what the card says.”

Mary walked into the office, took the card from Tom, and read aloud…

_All is well—miss you so. New suppliers potentially for the stores—not as creative as Marrakesh but will send the details via email—solid work. The diving is amazing! Wish you were here! Kisses to the kids. Love Charlotte & Sidney_

With the investors secured, Sidney had put his team in place and then he and Charlotte started something of an unplanned world tour. Starting in Marrakesh—where Georgiana and Charlotte became fast friends—they came upon local artisans that Charlotte recommended they highlight at the resorts, ultimately creating something of an international marketplace.

Over the last year, Charlotte and Sidney continued their journey as tourists and business partners through ten countries—spending time in each to learn the culture, meet new friends, and find opportunities. They had another dozen countries planned before returning to Sanditon—but Sidney hoped that with the ring in his pocket, which he would offer her tonight, she may opt for an early return to Sanditon for the ceremony before they set out into the world again, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my little story and being so amazingly kind! I’m currently thinking through another modern-day story called "Hitch." I’ve included the first lines below—it will be a bit, um maybe a lot, darker. Hoping to have the first chapter up within the next week or so if you are interested. Have a wonderful day!
> 
> *****Sidney’s look told her not to follow as he accompanied Detective Stringer and the two officers out the door and into the waiting squad car. She hoped her eyes were conveying her love for him and not her fear for and perhaps of him. You see, Charlotte knew in her heart that Sidney could never kill anyone, but her head wasn’t quite as certain.*****


End file.
